Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I fully support the amendment to the motion. It is not sensible for us to take a definite position on public versus private hospitals. Many of those who utilise the health services are working class people who pay private health insurance to access the health system. I fully agree that access to health care facilities should be on the basis of medical need rather than on ability to pay and the Minister has stated on a number of occasions that she is extremely anxious that this should be the basis of the health care system.

I agree with Senator Moylan that private hospitals will complement public hospitals where they are built on the same site. The facilities and expensive medical equipment in both hospitals will be available to both public and private patients. The health care system must be considered in a new and innovative way and serious attempts are being made to do that. Recently, I visited New Zealand, where health care is also the subject of media attention. Over the past nine years, we have tripled our investment in health care but we have not seen a commensurate increase in outputs from that sector.

Senators have remarked on the need to investigate the people who control beds. Unfortunately, an elitist system has developed in the public service and the health care sector. The Tánaiste is right to want to review the contract arrangements for consultants because vested interests must be confronted. Rather than take ideological positions, we must be pragmatic in ensuring that our health care system meets the needs and demands of the public and taxpayers.