Health insurance and employment permits Bills
Deputy Kelleher seeks suspension of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill until the Health Insurance Authority report is published and asks about the employment permits Bill. The Tánaiste says the health insurance measure will be considered in committee the following week and that the employment permits Bill is due this session.
The ephemeral joy of responsible politics - auction politics is back on the agenda again with the Labour Party conference in Killarney over the weekend. There are a number of pressing issues on which I would like the Tánaiste's view. He spoke about the coping classes and the need to-----
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Promised legislation has nothing to do with them.
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I just want to raise the issue of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill.
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Sorry, Deputy. You are not going to read anything. You ask questions. This is the Order of Business.
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The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill is no joke for over 2 million people-----
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-----for whom health insurance will increase by at least 15% to 20%.
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That is no joke, particularly for hard-pressed families. Will the Tánaiste agree to the suspension of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill until the HIA report has been published? We are not asking for a massive delay as it is to be published in a number of days. This would allow us to have an informed debate on the issue of health insurance, which is in crisis in this country.
On the issue of the employment permits Bill, as the Tánaiste knows, the UK Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, is making very strong soundings in regard to concerns about the number of immigrants coming from Bulgaria and Romania. In view of the fact we share common travel with Britain, has the Tánaiste concerns this could have a major impact on Ireland? Has he given it thought and has he made his views known to the British Government?
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All of these are important matters but we are dealing with the Order of Business here. If we need to have debates, I do not have a problem with that.
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It is the employment permits Bill.
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The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill will be at committee next week. That will give Deputy Kelleher ample opportunity to raise whatever issues he wants to raise in regard to it.