Is the Government taking any emergency measures to rescue half of the population of this State from the shocking debacle that the Taoiseach has allowed to develop in the area of private health insurance? Is there the slightest hint of embarrassment in his Government that the policy of privatisation he has pursued for ten years has, in this particular instance, become a monster that is stalking the health needs of our people, thirsting for the maximisation of profit, threatening further sharp increases in the double tax known as private health insurance and threatening to end the concept of community rating?

The Minister for Health and Children was warned last July that speculators could drive a coach and six through the legislation in this area, that big snouts were lining themselves up at the trough to organise another smash and grab raid for a further three years, and then walk away with the proceeds. Why was there not an immediate response from the Minister for Health and Children and from the Government? The Quinn Direct-BUPA Ireland wolf is not just at the door, but in the bed masquerading as a newborn babe. The Minister, Deputy Harney, is standing by like a bemused Little Red Riding Hood, saying "Oh Mr. Quinn, what big teeth you have, what a big appetite for profits, tut tut". Meanwhile, BUPA has walked away with up to €100 million in profit, soaked from ordinary people who have been double taxed as they feel they must have private insurance due to the Government's failure to provide a just and equal health service.

The owners of Quinn Direct may know a lot about mixing concrete but nothing about health care, yet they think they can walk away over the next three years with another €100 million. A measure of the contempt which they have for the old, the sick and the handicapped can be seen in one of today's newspapers, in which they suggest that some of the VHI clients could be transferred to them. A few old people can be thrown to them to cover their backs and everything will be all right, as if our elderly patients were sacks of cement to be offloaded from one pick-up truck to another.

What is the Government's position on this debacle? Did the Cabinet discuss this issue this morning? Will we have emergency legislation to curb the greed of these private profiteers who are determined to trash any concept of equality in the health service? They are parasites because they are thriving on human necessity. What is the Taoiseach's position?

I am not too sure what question the Deputy wants to ask me. If he wants the——

The question is very simple. I can help the Taoiseach.

Please allow the Taoiseach to answer.

He is not sure.

We are two minutes over time.

I could not be clearer.

Please allow the Taoiseach to continue without interruption.

Will the Taoiseach introduce emergency legislation to stop speculators walking all over ordinary people who wish to retain their private health insurance?

The Deputy wants to let 300 jobs go.

Will he ensure speculators will not walk away with a fortune, while smashing the concept of community rating?

That was a second question.

The Health Insurance Act 1994 and the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2003 provide for the regulations, whereby new entrants can participate in the health insurance sector. The Government wants to see Quinn Direct's proposals which will be examined by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority. We will have to see the arrangements in the contract drawn up when Quinn Direct purchased BUPA Ireland before we can make a decision. We are taking legal advice on how we should handle the position. We have to consider the employment position and take into account BUPA's 400,000 policyholders. We have to see the structure that Quinn Direct will have for its new corporate entity. The Barrington group has been examining the proposals and the case made by a number of insurance companies, including VHI Healthcare. The Government hopes to complete this process as quickly as it can. The first issue we will have to examine is that of the arrangement of the new corporate entity. We will have to consider how it fits in with the 1994 and 2003 Acts. It may be outside the scope of the Acts — it may not have been foreseen by them. While that is what it looks like, we cannot be sure until we know the full position. For example, we will have to see the application that Quinn Direct will make to the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority and the Health Insurance Authority. We cannot be certain until then. We will have to deal with a number of important issues. We discussed the matter earlier today. We have had a number of meetings. The Health Insurance Authority is also examining the issue. We will have to try to make some early decisions on it.

Why has this matter been left until the eleventh hour, when the damage may well already have been done? Why did the Government not react immediately when the issue was flagged last July? It is clear that there is no urgency on this issue. Such negligence of the highest kind reflects the Government's bias in favour of those who see the human and health needs of people simply as a cold marketplace in which business can be conducted and profit made. The big business interests which are moving into the health care sector for private profit — I refer to speculators and beef barons, etc. — do not take the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, seriously in any sense as a defender of public health. Why should they, given that she is robbing land from public hospitals and giving it to private hospitals and then lecturing the consultants because they want to moonlight in those private hospitals? How can they take her seriously in such circumstances? Community rating is based on a concept of equality among human beings, but the Minister represents a party which promotes inequality. I refer to the Progressive Democrats, which advocates a system "red in tooth and claw". The Minister is on the same wavelength as those who are poised to make a killing on foot of people's private health insurance needs.

Does the Taoiseach agree that ordinary working people who pay massive amounts of taxation should not feel pressurised to take out private health insurance? They are under such pressure because the Government is incapable of providing a health service in which they can be seen immediately and efficiently. I ask the Taoiseach again to tell the House, on foot of the advice given to the Cabinet this morning, what the most likely outcome to this problem is. Will Quinn Direct be given a three-year period of grace, after which some other so-called entrepreneur will be able to move into the health insurance field in its place and walk away with another fortune? What will the Taoiseach do to stop this scandal?

A number of important issues arise in this regard. The 400,000 who use BUPA Ireland's service want to continue to avail of private health insurance and have their policies protected. We should consider the staff of BUPA Ireland and the position of VHI Healthcare which expects to receive resources from the private health insurance operators under existing legislation which did not envisage the circumstances which have arisen. We will have to wait to see what form the new corporate entity will take. It appears, on the face of it, that the underwriting company has been dealt with in a different way. It seems that it is outside the scope of the legislation. We will have to take legal advice on how to handle this. We will need to see whether Quinn Direct gets a licence from the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority and the Health Insurance Authority. We will need to take account of the positions of the other private health insurance companies such as VHI Healthcare. The Barrington group which is already looking at that issue has been taking account of——

It has been doing so since last July.

Actually, it has not been doing it since last July. The first I heard about Quinn Direct taking over was in the House last Wednesday. It only came into the equation a few days before that, as I understand it. I did not know of its interest until last Wednesday. I have no brief for Quinn Direct which employs 6,500 people. I do not know if it is right for Deputy Higgins to feel it necessary to describe a company which employs 6,500 people in the economy as the beast at the trough, or the wolf at the trough. It is disrespectful to describe the company, for which I have no brief, in such a manner.

Hear, hear.

We have to resolve some issues relating to the Health Insurance Act. The Attorney General is examining the matter and we are getting some outside advice. I do not think we can resolve the matter before the ongoing work of the Barrington group has been completed. We need to examine precisely how Quinn Direct intends to compose its corporate entity. We have to deal with such issues and will do so. I do not think the matter can be dealt with in the next day or two. I do not want somebody to think it can be resolved tomorrow. It is likely that Quinn Direct will not apply for an IFSRA licence for some time. The Health Insurance Authority will have to deal with such an application. The report of the Barrington commission is not due until next month.