It is nearly 48 hours since the public service pay agreement was announced, but Members still do not have a copy of the agreement and in many respects are handicapped in commenting in a fully informed way on it in the absence of its circulation. At approximately 4.15 p.m. today the Labour Relations Commission stated it was still organising the putting together of the document. Will the Taoiseach indicate when he expects it to be published? Will he ensure a copy will be circulated to every Member?

On a separate matter, one of the great difficulties emerging concerns the extraordinary price of health insurance. Without question, there have been price hikes in the past while and the cost of some health insurance plans has gone up by almost 60%. Many families are in extraordinary difficulty in this respect. The centre is no longer holding in terms of either the public sector and health insurance or the private sector and health insurance.

Where is the Deputy going with this?

To the health (private patient charges) Bill.

I was wondering in what direction the Deputy was heading.

It will put more petrol on the fire of health insurance and no coherent strategy is emerging. The universal health strategy is buried somewhere and we do not know when we will see it.

I will find out about the Bill for the Deputy.

When will we see an alleviation of the extraordinary hikes in the cost of private health insurance for citizens and families, in particular?

We will find out about the Bill first. When is it due?

All of the insurance companies appeared last week before the Joint Committee on Health and Children chaired by Deputy Jerry Buttimer. These matters are being considered and I expect the Bill to be produced in April.

The agreement referred to is a Labour Relations Commission document. The commission has been working diligently to get the details right and I expect the paper to be published later this afternoon. It is being worked on and I do not have a copy.

Will we all receive a copy?

Yes, everyone will receive a copy, perhaps within two hours. The commission is finalising it.

It is one holy terror that the Taoiseach has not seen it.

It is a holy terror.