Strange logic threatens health jobs
They have had long enough to assess the outcome of their plan to impose risk equalisation on BUPA and it now seems this outcome would be disastrous.
If risk equalisation is, as the Government states, “the only logical solution,” then the ultimate logical solution should be that non-smokers should not subsidise smokers, non-drinkers should not subsidise drinkers, non-drivers should not subsidise drivers, thin people should not support fat people and, of course, young people should not subsidise old people.
This, of course, is rubbish. There must be more than one way of levelling the playing field without causing BUPA to pull out of Ireland. May I humbly suggest to the powers that be in Dublin that perhaps another way would be to cap the number of young people up to a certain age that BUPA can enrol for an agreed number of years. I’m no academic and not in possession of the age profiles and numbers, but I’m sure it would not be difficult to establish a working model.
I’m sure also there are other ways. Perhaps all ministers should take a course on lateral thinking - or just thinking - before opening their mouths and causing uncertainty to BUPA and the people they employ in Fermoy.
East Cork’s Fianna Fáil TDs have been rather quiet, with just the odd bleat about what should be done.
They are the very people who should be hammering on doors in Dublin, demanding a solution to the problem of their own party’s risk equalisation plan and its consequences for Fermoy.
It is obvious that if Fermoy loses 300 jobs, the political consequences for Fianna Fáil in East Cork will not be very pleasant.
Bernard Murphy
Marston
Ballyduff Upper
Co Waterford
