Results 681-700 of 1,047,939 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Patrick Nulty OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Leo Varadkar)
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Amendment agreed to.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Stephen Donnelly: I move amendment No.6: In page 3, to delete line 12 and substitute the following: “6. In this Part, “Act of 1994” means the Health Insurance Act 1994.”.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Section 1 agreed to.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
NEW SECTION
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 7: In page 3, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: “Amendment of Section 7F of Principal Act 2. Section 7F is amended in section 4A by the deletion of paragraph (c) and the insertion of: “(c) In respect of each of the following applicable 3 year periods— (i) the 3 year period from 1 January 2023 to the end of 2025, and (ii) the...
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. We have probably discussed this aspect on a few occasions in the context of this Bill. The 6% rate was a recommendation from the Health Insurance Authority. A report was done and a range recommended between 5.5% and 8.6%. The 6%, therefore, is right down at the lower end of the range. The Deputy's question is a very fair one, why not bring it down further. The report...
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I am just going to comment briefly. I would bring the rate down to zero to be honest. I just do not see why these providers should make a profit. We are probably not going to get into this debate, but I cannot understand how a Government committed to universal, single tier healthcare can think it is acceptable these companies are making any profit at all. I cannot see how they are...
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
David Cullinane: People before profit.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Absolutely, and in healthcare more than anything. I am just using this opportunity to say this, because unless there is an intention to get rid of that at some point, the Government is perpetuating a fundamentally iniquitous situation where these companies are, essentially, exploiting people's vulnerability for profit.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for that contribution. If we were to move the margin down to zero, any sector would then fold up its tent.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Excellent
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Stephen Donnelly: I think there are two sides to this point. As discussed earlier, there is the side where we have people in Ireland who have health insurance out of fear. Everything we have been doing for the past four and a half years has been to move away from that and provide a public health service we can be incredibly proud of and that gives people brilliant care when they need it. At a simple level,...
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister's response in providing clarity on how free HRT will be rolled out. If I am reading what the Minister has said right, there are any number of ways in which this could have been done, including providing free GP consultations, but what the Minister has gone for is free medicines and free products, stating this is the best way to do it. I would like clarity on this...
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Danny Healy-Rae: I welcome the provisions for the ladies who reach the menopause age and they are very welcome. I hope it will be of benefit to all of them. I have other questions on the nurses protesting outside the hospital in Tralee today. I understand it is because of the embargo that started last November which is still carrying on. A girl who came home last March after a career break-----
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: Deputy, these are very specific amendments and I am going to have to hold you to them.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
David Cullinane: They are all on the topic of HRT.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: There is limited time. There is a guillotine.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Danny Healy-Rae: I will finish now.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: I know but I have an obligation to tell you that we are discussing amendments and we must stick to them.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2024)
Danny Healy-Rae: All of this is relevant to providing a service. If we do not have the nurses or GPs on board we cannot operate the service. The main question is why the Minister closed the ophthalmology unit in Tralee general hospital. There are 800 people on the waiting list there. If someone gets hit in the eye or something steel or whatever goes into someone's eye, and there are accidents happening...