Sean Barrett (Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for returning to the House after lunch. I echo Senator Burke's concern about the two-year period. The five-year period for introducing competition in health insurance should come prior to this in order that hospitals will be competing and freeing up resources that are necessary. If these posts end after two years, the health insurance market has not been opened up and we do not have more GPs in the 24-hour service which the Minister of State mentioned before lunch, we could face the same problem again. It is contingent on a much faster pace of reform than was envisaged when we spoke about this before lunch.