James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have no doubt that the Senator's intention is to improve things for and protect the consumer. The result of this proposed amendment would be to create a window of opportunity where registered undertakings could increase benefits or reduce prices, which might on the surface seem like a good idea. However, they may do it to further segment the market, as they have been doing, where they take certain things off certain plans they know are popular with older people and put other things into those plans which may on the surface look like a great benefit but which are of no benefit to older people and might be quite attractive to younger people. That is how they have been segmenting the market. I will not be accepting the amendment.