Seanad debates

Thursday, 4 December 2025

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages

 

Sections 1 and 2 agreed.

NEW SECTION

2:00 am

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 1:

In page 3, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “Report on profits, rising costs, and potential impact of removal of private practice from public hospitals

3. The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 33:
“Report on profits, rising costs, and potential impact of removal of private care from public hospitals

33A. (1) The Authority shall, before and by 31 July 2026, prepare and submit a report to the Minister for Health having—
(a) undertaken a review of—
(i) the current rates of profit health insurance providers,

(ii) the trend of profits of providers since 2019 to date, and

(iii) the rate of health inflation from 2019 to 2025 and the corresponding changes in the costs of health insurance,
and

(b) conducted an analysis of the potential impact of the removal of private practice from public hospitals on the cost of health insurance.
(2) The Minister shall, as soon as may be after the receipt by them of a report under subsection (1), cause copies to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

(3) The Minister shall, on foot of this report, bring forward proposals for off-setting inasmuch as possible the rising costs for consumers against profits on the basis of the analysis conducted by the Authority.”.”.

Amendment put and declared lost.

Sections 3 to 8, inclusive, agreed to.

Title agreed to.

Bill reported without amendment.

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to take the next Stage?

Photo of Maria ByrneMaria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Now.

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Bill received for final consideration.

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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When is it proposed to take the next Stage?

Photo of Maria ByrneMaria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Now.

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Question, "That the Bill do now pass", put and agreed to.

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the students visiting Seanad Éireann today. I hope they are having a good experience anyway.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 12.18 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 1 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 12.18 p.m. and resumed at 1 p.m.