Senators:

The number of different trade unions can lead to problems.

Senators:

Boards of management are badly needed for HSE hospitals. I understand some hospitals in Dublin, such as The Coombe, has a board of management structure similar to that in a primary school. This approach ensures some lines of accountability. We need to reintroduce that system into HSE hospitals and have people on the boards who can govern and be held to account.

Senators:

I am interested in examining the issue of private health insurance. I disagree with the Minister's approach to take part of the value of a person's house to pay for nursing home charges. I urge her to negotiate with the private health insurance companies in order that they would include an option for people to pay an extra premium if they so wish to cover their nursing home charges down the line should they end up in need of nursing home care. Only 5% of the population requires nursing home care. People might prefer to do this rather than have the value of their houses taken into account at a later stage. More than half the population has private health insurance. People would be more than willing to pay a few extra euro every week to be set aside for a nursing home fund should the need arise. Nobody knows how long they will spend in a nursing home, whether it will be for a week or up to three years.

Senators:

The Minister referred to a world class health system. All any Member wants is to ensure people are safe when they go into hospital. If we could pick one thing to happen in the next five years my wish would be for the health system to be as safe and clean as the food industry. The Minister referred to that issue in the Dáil yesterday. She stated abattoirs are cleaner than hospitals. I read a quotation in The Irish Times today.