Hear, hear.

I thank the Labour Party for tabling this motion and giving us an opportunity to discuss this important issue. In all the discussions on budget 2023 and budget 2024, as the Minister knows, I pointed out robustly that the health service was not getting the funding it needed to stand still, that we were running significant deficits, and that at some point, a cheque would have to be written to cover that deficit. There was serious pushback, not necessarily from the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, but from the Government, f…

That recruitment embargo was put in place by the head of the HSE. I did not interrupt the Minister. I have my time. The Minister can dispute what I am saying but it is indisputable. The HSE said there was a need to contain costs. He sent communications to the health service that he was putting in place a recruitment embargo with very limited exceptions relating to final-year nurses and hospital consultants, but across a whole range of other grades, we had a recruitment embargo. The Minister will also know that the …

Hear, hear.

I have always raised issues in my constituency very robustly and, I hope, very fairly with the Taoiseach and Ministers. I am growing very impatient, however, regarding the issue of Waterford Airport and the need for State funding to extend its runway. There is a lot of very harsh feeling in Waterford regarding comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, last week, when he used the words, "pig in a poke", in responding to questions on this issue. It has caused a lot of offence. Why are we still waiting? …

This is an annual Bill to review the risk equalisation mechanism that supports the community-based health service insurance market. It revises the stamp duty levy on policies and the risk equalisation credits payable to insurers for 2025. Risk equalisation as a principle ensures that costs are constant across the lifespan of the individual. It seeks to ensure, where possible, that age, gender and health status do not influence the cost of an insurance product. This legislation is required each year to revise the sy…

I will absolutely support these amendments. This is something for which we have collectively called for some time. I will make a broader point that there have been very significant developments over the past number of years in supporting women in menopause, including the establishment of menopause clinics. A whole range of other measures were put in place. The Minister outlined other areas where we can advance further over the course of the next number of years. I assume that will fall to the next government. I wil…

The point is well made.

I welcome the Minister's response in providing clarity on how free HRT will be rolled out. If I am reading what the Minister has said right, there are any number of ways in which this could have been done, including providing free GP consultations, but what the Minister has gone for is free medicines and free products, stating this is the best way to do it. I would like clarity on this point. When the Minister responded, he said there would also have to be a margin for the pharmacist. What does this mean? If the St…

They are all on the topic of HRT.

Why does the State not just cover the entire cost?

I am speaking about the full cost of the medicine.

Leave the GPs out of it; just the pharmacists.

I have a quick further point. Is there any sense as to what that margin might be? That is the obvious question we are going to be asked. I get what the Minister is saying. I am not interested in the GP side of it. When a woman goes to get the product, the State will pay for the cost of the product and then the margin, profit, or whatever we want to call it is paid by the person. What can the person expect to pay? Is there any sense as to what this cost will be?

So it is not free HRT

If there is a charge, it is not free.

I have the same question.

It is important for us to tease this out, and I think I am getting there in terms of what the Minister is proposing. I do not want to take away from the positivity of this measure, because it is extremely important. Women will ask us, however, what the likely prescription charge is going to be. For medical card holders, for example, it was free prescriptions, with everything covered, and the Government brought in a prescription charge for medical card holders. This has been brought down and is now at €1.50. I assum…

I acknowledge that.

I accept that.