Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I am disappointed that no additional time was given yesterday evening for many speakers still offering for the debate on the budget. The budget is crucial in that it sets out the financial strategy of the Government for the coming year. Legislation will follow and we will consider the social welfare Bill here for two days next week, which is important. However, many people were offering yesterday evening and did not get an opportunity to give their views on the budget. Debates have lasted a good deal longer than two hours on other matters. We will propose several amendments to the Order of Business to try to discuss various items today.

In particular, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business for a debate on health matters, specifically on the increases to private health insurance brought about by the increase that Deputy Reilly has announced for the use of public beds by private patients. Two weeks ago I raised this matter on the Order of Business. As Members will be aware, 43,000 people have given up their private health insurance this year alone because they cannot afford it. The measures announced by the Government yesterday will at the least increase average premiums by more than 50%. Thousands more will give up private health insurance and this will put additional strain on the public health system which at the moment is broken in many aspects. Contrary to the promises of the Minister, Deputy Reilly, more people are on trolleys this year than ever in the history of the State and the system is getting worse. Government proposals for an increase in charges will make it worse still. The Government will push people out of private health insurance into a public system that cannot deal with them.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to the effect that the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, should attend the House to discuss his policy on private health insurance premium increases and public nursing home closures in which, as I have stated previously on the record of the House, he should have no involvement-----