Consumers could face increases of between €300 and €600 when they renew their private health insurance plan this month.

It has emerged that Ms Chambers, who was cleared in an initial voting controversy, also voted on behalf of her party colleague Timmy Dooley in the Dáil in January.

Health Minister Simon Harris has responded to the report on removing private care from public hospitals by saying he believes “passionately” in universal health care.

The way a government uses its authority is always compromised by circumstance or ideology.

Pick any day in August 1969 and one issue dominated the news agenda — the North. This was the beginning of The Troubles and a period of some of the bloodiest violence that would leave a mark on the province for decades to come.

Fianna Fáil is calling on the Government to address the spiralling cost of health insurance.

Consumers need to be careful now and start shopping around again well in advance of the renewal of their health insurance cover, a health insurance expert has warned.

VHI is increasing its premiums by an average of 6%.

Mater Private Cork will add another 25 staff members once it adds two now operating theatres and a 30-bed day care ward by the end of 2019.

The Irish recruitment scene is enjoying an upsurge in activity in recent times, as can been seen with this selection of new appointments and promotions.

Cancer drugs for “several new clinical indications” are now being covered by the VHI, the private health insurer has confirmed.

The Clinical Director of the National Centre for Pharma-economics has said that VHI's decision to make some cancer drugs available to some private customers raises an issue of equity.

Next month marks four years since then-Minister for Health Leo Varadkar introduced Lifetime Community Rating (LCR) into the health insurance market, in order to encourage people to take out private cover.

Pain was no barrier for Gary O’Hanlon as he finally won the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon in style with a course record of 2:21:10 as Zola Flynn captured the women’s title in 2:58:55.

Health insurance is a topic I have covered in the past but it is worth returning to as a number of recent developments in the market could mean good news for consumers.

The country’s largest health insurer is cutting premiums across plans that cover 90% of its customers.

VHI is to cut the cost of most of its plans in March.

At the end of the day the needs of people who are in pain have to trump vested interests, writes Fergus Finlay.

Vhi is to cut the cost of most of its plans in March.

A number of new office occupiers and sale deals are coming to an end-of-year close in the heart of Cork city, at Lapps Quay, at City Quarter, and at the Elysian, where a new walk-in medical clinic is set to open next month and where a new restaurant letting is agreed. Plus there’s 12,000 sq ft of offices at the Elysian under active negotiation via Lisney.

Consumer advice with Gráinne McGuinness

Some seasonal consumer advice with Gráinne McGuinness

Price reductions along with enhanced day-to-day cover, lower excesses and new product benefits across a range of plans have been announced by the State’s health insurer.

Many people use the SwiftCare Clinics for minor injuries to avoid going to a busy hospital emergency department and waiting hours for treatment.

The VHI Women’s Mini Marathon has been won by Ann-Marie McGlynn from Strabane, County Tyrone.

State-owned health insurer VHI has reported a healthy profit after hiking its premiums twice in the last six months.