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Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 Dec 1928

Vol. 11 No. 2

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BILL, 1928—THIRD STAGE.

I would like to ask the Minister, in connection with the working of the National Health Insurance Act, whether there is any arrangement with the English authorities to deal with a case of an Irishman who is insured in England, where he worked for ten years, and who afterwards became disabled and was sent home. Is the Minister aware that when that man was twelve months home the National Health Insurance Society in England refused to pay any further benefit? There is no law dealing with the matter at present, but I would like to know if the Minister would consider it between this and the next time the National Health Insurance Bill is introduced. The case I have mentioned came to my knowledge this morning. The man was working for some municipal authority in England and was insured there. He was disabled, but his family, some of whom are unemployed, finding that he was stranded in England, brought him home. He is home twelve months now, and the Municipal National Health Society in England refuses to pay him any longer. I hope the Minister will give the matter consideration.

The question I am asked is: will I give consideration to bringing in legislation to control a National Health Insurance Society in Great Britain? I could not undertake to do that, but I will undertake to give consideration to any difficulties that any Senator brings to my notice. In fairness, I would like to have these difficulties in writing.

If the Senator will bring up a concrete case it might be dealt with, because I am perfectly certain that there are cases of that description that occasion great hardship.

I would like to make it clear that we have a post box in the Department, and it is our duty to attend to things that come in there as well as to the things that arise here.

Bill passed through Committee without amendment.
The Seanad went out of Committee.
Bill reported to the House.
Report Stage ordered for Wednesday, 19th December.
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