Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Senator David Norris. If we had more people like him in politics, there would be less aggro. It is good when politicians recognise and acknowledge the reality, whether they are in opposition or in government. The Senator is showing the way in that regard and others could learn a good lesson from what he said. Cheap populism lets everybody down, as he said.

The Taoiseach is the only one in the past 20 years who has taken a pay cut. His salary has been reduced considerably. I am not sure of the exact percentage - it could be 30% - but I will check and revert to Senator Mark Daly on the issue. Every civil servant has taken a pay cut. Every Minister and Deputy took a pay cut of 10%, for example.

I congratulate the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Gerald Nash, on the launch of the low pay commission today. As Senator Ivana Bacik pointed out, one of the first things the Government did on taking office was raise the minimum wage. I have asked the Minister of State to include child care workers within the remit of the commission. Funding for child care services has increased massively in recent years, but this is not reflected in the pay of workers in the sector.

I call for a debate on telemedicine. Doctors have urged the Government to intervene and discourage health insurance companies from offering telemedicine, or online GP consultations, to their customers. We all know how effective modern communication technologies such Skype are, but I do not know enough about telemedicine to determine whether the Government should intervene. The new service being offered is being provided by GPs registered in Ireland. However, just because they are registered in Ireland does not mean that they are based here. I would like to have a thorough debate on telemedicine, including a discussion of the potential benefits and pitfalls from the perspective of GPs and the insurance companies. Looking at it from the perspective of it being a one-off or first-stop option, it looks like to be a great idea. It is a new service being offered by VHI and Aviva. The idea that one can consult a GP from the comfort of one's home is welcome, as long as it is safe. Is there anything to be feared from this service? That is the question GPs are asking. I, therefore, seek a debate on the matter.