Sir, - William Sparling (April 26th) pinpoints the pressures on those taking out private health insurance. As a pensioner paying almost a fifth of his income on VHI he seeks a "levelling up" rather than a "levelling down" in health policy.
This is precisely the aim of the Labour Party document Curing Our Ills. We propose a system which provides the security of guaranteed health insurance cover to every citizen regardless of income - from the cradle to the grave. Public response to the document has been considerable and generally positive.
The most notable exception comes from the current Minister for Health, who seems intent on demolishing our proposition without putting forward any of his own. In his article in The Irish Times April 15th he ignores our essential drive to establish equality and excellence within the health service. Instead he quotes criticism of the German system. This is hardly valid. The Labour Party has no intention of importing a system from elsewhere, with warts and all. To imply that we have is simply mischievous.
Another red herring in the Minister's article is that Labour will close local hospitals. Again this is nonsense. Hospitals, under our proposals, would be resourced better and be more responsive to the needs of patients. At present thousands of people are suffering as they wait for months and years for treatment. Under the current system their needs are not being met, despite grandiose promises by Fianna Fail at the last Election.
The Minister criticises our proposal for lacking specifics. But it does not purport to be a document of specifics that are set in stone. Curing Our Ills is what it says, a discussion document. It is part of a process of consultation with those who avail of our health service, such as Mr Sparling, and with those who work so hard delivering healthcare. - Yours, etc.,
Liz McManus TD, Labour Party Health Spokesperson, Dail Eireann, Dublin 2.