Health services in Ireland are in danger of being provided on the basis of the cheapest price, it was claimed today.
Former Labour Party leader Ruairi Quinn warned that the controversial EU Services Directive must protect essential public services as well as safeguarding the rights of workers and consumers.
The European Parliament will vote next week on the directive, which allows foreign companies to operate in the Irish market on the basis of their own domestic laws.
Mr Quinn told a conference in Dublin: "Most Europeans would like to be assured that services in their local hospital are not provided simply by the cheapest contractor, and that the hospital does not refer any resulting problem to another country with unfamiliar rules and language.
"If these problems are not resolved, the Directive will continue to be strongly opposed by socialists and the Directive risks being defeated.
"This would be a shame. The simple fact is that we need a Services Directive. An even simpler fact is that we need one with clear guarantees protecting essential and public services and the rights of workers and consumers."
Mr Quinn, spokesman on European Affairs, was addressing a joint Labour and Party of European Socialists (PES) conference on the future of Europe at the Mansion House.
He said Europe could choose a conservative route by pushing ahead with the Directive in the face of trade union and socialist opposition and risk defeat. Or it could choose the social democratic way which will protect essential services and the rights of workers and consumers.
Reflecting on Ireland's participation in the EU, Mr Quinn said many of the employment standards laws taken for granted in Ireland are the result of EU Directives.
He also criticised Minister for Justice and Equality Michael McDowell: "It does not suit Mr McDowell's outlook on life that women should receive equal pay; that there should be limits on the working week for junior doctors, or that there should be minimum employment standards at all."