Labour Youht to protest against the "Americanisation" of the Irish Health Service

Issued : Tuesday 5 February, 2008

Labour Youth are running a campaign this week on college campuses to highlight the crisis in the Irish health service and the dangers of American-style privatisation. Events include public meetings with Labour TDs on campus and the screening of films about the state of health care in the US. A demonstration on Wednesday at 1pm outside the Dail, to protest against the Americanisation of the Irish Health Service, called by Labour Youth, is also among the week's events

Speaking at the launch of the health week Enda Duffy Chairperson of Labour Youth stated: "It is a national scandal that Ireland despite years of economic boom has a rapidly deteriorating health service. Labour Youth is calling for taxpayer's money to be invested in a universal health care system that is free at the point of access. We are opposed to Harney's ideologically driven agenda of providing profit for her big business friends through privatisation and co-location.

"Labour Youth have organised this health campaign to highlight our opposition to the Harney privatisation plan and the suffering and pain it has caused so many ordinary tax payers of this state who can't afford private health care. Labour Youth is utterly opposed to the ideology of a two tiered health service that denies people the right to access a vital public service."