Ahern committed to abolishing health inequalities

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, today saidit is "unacceptable" someone would need a court order in order to receive medical treatment.

Speaking at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Biennial Conference in Bundoran, Co Donegal, Mr Ahern said: "Iwant to make it clear that, in my view, it is unacceptable that any citizen of this State shouldbe forcedto have recourse to the courts to ensure the availability of treatment for a life threatening disease."

Mr Ahern said one of the Government’s top priorities is the creation of a new health strategy. "That strategy, which we hope to have finalised by the Autumn, will provide a framework for the development of the entire health servicesover a five to ten year period," he said.

The Taoiseach said this will abolish inequalities in accessing the health treatment and transform the health service into one based on a philosophy of social inclusion."There is now universal agreement that the problems in our health service do not arise from lack of resources alone but we have got to find the key to structuringthe service in a manner which is efficient and which also gives the State value for its investment."

Mr Ahern said State investment in health in recent years had been considerable. "Between the years 1990 and 1998 the per capita spend on health increased by 80 per cent, that’s over an eight year period. But in the last two years, between 1999 and 2001, the per capita spend has increased by 55 per cent.

"This Government has invested £18.75 billion pounds in the health service. Our predecessors in the Rainbow Coalition invested just over £8.75 billions. The figures speak for themselves," he said.

Speaking about the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, Mr Ahern, said the challenge was to adapt it so it is "appropriate to a wealthy society, the complete reversal of what it was when the process began.

"We - Government and social partners - have the task of leading and guiding the process of successful adaptation to continuing change. That is the theme and the aim that underpins and permeates the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness," he said.

Mr Ahern said: "It is a far cry from the early days of partnership when the focus was virtually exclusively on the workplace, the traditional trade union focus of pay and conditions."

In relation to this, the Taoiseach pointed out that for the average worker’s take home pay increased by 14 per cent in the period 1996-1999 and will increase by up to 30 per cent in the period 2000-2003.

According to Mr Ahern, apart from Luxembourg, Ireland now has the most generous personal taxation regime in all of the EU. "The last budget removed 133,000 people from the tax net, bringing the total exempted to nearly 670,000."We have travelled a long, at times difficult, but always worthwhile road since the earliest days of partnership. We have left behind, I trust forever, the dark days of poverty, unemployment and emigration. Our task now is to secure the future," he said.

Mr Ahern also paid tribute to Mr Peter Cassells, general secretary of the ICTU. He extended his "sincere appreciation" to Mr Cassells "for his enlightened stewardship of Congress throughout a period of great challenge and change".