Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. On the issue of public beds and private health insurance, when I visited Taiwan in January as part of a delegation we met representatives of the bureau of health information, their equivalent of the HSE. I asked the head of its delegation if Taiwan had a problem with waiting lists. They said there was no such thing as a waiting list in that country, where they have both a public and a private system. Taiwan's population is approximately 25 million, in a country half the size of Ireland. I did not know whether the information was being embellished, so that night when we met some Irish people working there I asked the same question and they agreed that there were no waiting lists. They told me that if one needs to see a brain surgeon or an orthopaedic consultant, one sees him or her that day or the next day.

I asked why people would opt for private insurance if that was the case and was told that they might like a larger room or a newer hospital. The system seemed to work very well. We must get to that situation in Ireland.

Private companies pay approximately €75 per night for public beds whereas we are paying €1,200 to the private hospitals. Letterkenny General Hospital has a cardiac unit and the cardiac surgeon there tells me he is qualified to perform stenting. He carries out angiograms and a range of other treatments. Stenting is common. I have a stent myself and know how traumatic it can be for someone to have the procedure. The surgeon cannot carry out the stenting procedure in Letterkenny. He has the funding and equipment but does not have the staff. If Letterkenny General Hospital got €1,200 per night instead of €75 per night, the money could be used to employ an extra nurse or specialist. Private insurance companies are aware that this is coming. They cannot expect to be subsidised. A public patient in Donegal who needs a stent may have to wait three months. I had to wait a weekend between the angiogram and the insertion of the stent. It was psychologically and physically demanding. To tell someone he or she can wait three months as he or she is not at serious risk does not provide real comfort. I encourage greater analysis of this. A contribution of €1,000 to Letterkenny could help it to employ the extra staff needed to provide and expand services. It has the surgeon and the equipment but it needs the support staff.

This would help the staffing levels and represent a win-win for the hospital. Private insurance companies are profit-making organisations and it is their business to maintain their premia at a rate that people will buy into. They know they have to do that. They will not put up their fees hugely because if they lose their clients, they will not make any money. The private insurance companies are scaremongering. I was very interested in Senator Crown's assertions about the companies which he mentioned in relation to drug treatment. It was very worrying. He has the expertise to give the House a view. I am delighted he raised the matter today. I ask people to go along with this. Private insurance companies can and will survive but small hospital services like Letterkenny cardiac unit are under funding pressure. This could help to fund those units.