Speaking of Gráinne Seoige, I saw her interview last week with Mary Harney regarding the proposal to pay for health/nursing care for the elderly. Harney seems to want to put more of the onus on the family, where it belongs, rather than the state.
Gráinne brought up the question, (I think she was just playing devil's advocate), that the cost should be borne by the state as the Irish citizenry pay taxes throughout their lives and that this justifies their being exempt from being burdened by the costs of caring for their elderly parents/relatives.
A good example of the varying dynamics of how statist policies can influence, for good or for bad, individualism.
Speaking of the Irish Health Service, BUPA, a private health insurance company, have pulled out of Ireland - because of a 'risk equalisation' introduced by the Government wrt health care, I think it's basically everyone pays the same, irrespective of risk of bad health or injury - the state owned VHI basically was able to squeeze BUPA out of the market!