Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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1066. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the effect of the Government health insurance levy increase and the reduction of tax relief in relation to private health insurance on the public health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34184/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 1970, everyone who is ordinarily resident in Ireland qualifies for public hospital care. Notwithstanding this, 43.9% of the Irish population has private health insurance and many people opt to be treated privately. The Irish hospital system contains a mix of public and private hospitals, with public hospitals treating both public and private patients. On admittance to a public hospital, patients make a choice to be treated by a medical consultant on a public or private basis.

It is not known how many persons who previously held private health insurance will subsequently present for medical treatment in a public hospital setting over a future period of time, nor is it possible to predict with any certainty how many people currently holding private health insurance will instead choose to be treated as a public patient, as they are fully entitled to do.

My Department will continue to oversee the maintenance of a competitive and sustainable private health insurance market, under the provisions of the Health Insurance Acts 1994 to 2013 and to monitor developments on an ongoing basis, to ensure that the market is regulated appropriately to meet the objectives in the health reform programme.