David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support the amendment to the Order of Business and join the calls for a debate on health care. There are many issues to be discussed with the Minister for Health. The rising cost of private health insurance, for example, has been raised by several colleagues. Those rising costs must be seen in the context of the Government's plan to build the system of health care delivery around universal health insurance. The premise of the Minister's model is that health care will be delivered through so-called competing private health insurers. As it stands, I do not see much evidence of competition between insurers, which is one of the challenges that will undoubtedly persist under any new system.

I would prefer to see a system of State-provided universal health care. People pay their taxes, PRSI and the universal social charge but will have to pay again for health care. That is unacceptable and perpetuates the two-tier model. We need a debate on the increases in private health insurance in the context of the model of health care delivery the Government has proposed.

Can the Leader confirm whether the Health Service Executive's national service plan for 2014 has been delivered to the Minister? It is an important document which will spell out where exactly the axe will fall for hospitals throughout the State. In its wake will come the regional plans and local hospital plans. The publication of the national service plan would be an opportune time to have the Minister in the House for a full debate on the plan itself as well as the issues that have been raised by Senators regarding private health insurance and the Government's favoured health care delivery model.