Public dissatisfaction with the healthcare system is much higher in the Republic than in other EU member-states, according to an EU lifestyles survey published yesterday.
The report, The Social Situation in the European Union 2001, found that 47 per cent of Irish people were "not at all, or not very satisfied" with the domestic healthcare system. Only the Greeks, Portuguese, Italians and Spanish had a lower opinion of their health services.
The report also shows that Irish people do not live as long as their European neighbours, with an average life expectancy of 74 years for men, one year less than the EU average, and 79 years for women, two years less than the EU average.
Ironically, however, Irish people have a much more positive view of their health than other Europeans. Only 4 per cent of those aged 16 and over, and 10 per cent of those aged 65 and over, felt their health was bad or very bad. This compared to EU averages of 9 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.
Mr Costantinos Fotakis, of the European Commission's Employment and Social Affairs Directorate-General, said Irish concern about health was reflected in the EU as a whole, where it had been identified as the most important social policy issue to citizens. It ranked ahead of income, family life and housing.
Addressing the high level of dissatisfaction with healthcare in the Republic, Mr Fotakis noted that the media often played a role in "amplifying the discomfort of the public" on matters such as this. Investing more in healthcare, he added, did not necessarily mean an improvement in health.
While Greece had a poorer healthcare system and spent less on social services than Denmark, "the Greeks live longer than the Danes".
"This is the difference between objective data and attitudes. It doesn't necessarily follow that if you double expenditure on health we will have a substantial improvement in the health of the Irish people."
The report was compiled by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, an EU research body which has its headquarters in Loughlinstown, Co Dublin. The publication tracks social and economic trends in Europe, among them decreasing fertility rates and a rise in part-time and contract-based employment.
As regards general attitudes to life, the survey found 88 per cent of Irish people were either fairly or very satisfied with their lives. Only the Dutch, Swedes, Danes and Luxembourgers had a more positive outlook on life.
At an EU level, trust in trade unions and political parties was shown to have fallen in recent years, while trust in the Civil Service had increased.
Of those occupations surveyed in 1999, politicians commanded the least respect in the Republic, with only 21 per cent of people expressing trust in them.
Some 53 per cent expressed trust in the church, 60 per cent in voluntary organisations and 72 per cent in the Garda.
Weblink: www.eurofound.ie
