Opposition parties believe a new study by the State's leading think tank proves that Ireland is operating at two-tier health system.
The ESRI study published today uses a Canadian model to compare health systems in 22 OECD countries in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. The findings show the Irish health system last and second last in two out of three categories.
Green Party health spokesperson Mr John Gormley said the paper showed the two-tier health system is a "stark reality", where healthcare has been left behind despite the recent boom.
Labour Party health spokesperson, Ms Liz McManus said the report "provides further evidence of apartheid" in the healthcare system.
Both TDs focused on the finding that at 7.3 per cent of GDP in 2001, Ireland spent less on healthcare than every other country surveyed. The average spend was 9 per cent.
"With so much wealth, the Government has squandered the opportunity to deliver quality, accessible and affordable healthcare," Ms McManus said, adding that the new Minster of Health, Ms Harney, must be given more money in the next Budget.
The Opposition were also angered by the finding that while average visits to GPs were a mid-range 3.6 per year among the "old EU 15", a sharp fall in attendance was notied among those without medical card entitlement.
The study found Ireland unique in this respect and suggested "it is worth investigating in some depth whether the distinctive features of the 'pricing system' from GP visits in Ireland has implications for use of the service".
Mr Gormley said the finding indicated "many people appear to postpone visits to the doctor when their income falls above the medical card threshold for eligibility."
He attacked the Government's failure to honour a promise its general election promise to provide 200,000 new medical cards. "Over 100,000 fewer people possess medical cards today. This is the
lowest level of medical card qualification since the GMS [General Medical Scheme] was introduced 32 years ago."
The three "benchmarking" categories used in the ESRI study, Ireland's Healthcare System: Some Issues and Challenges,were health status, health outcomes and non-medical factors.
Under the non-medical category which includes analysis of tobacco and alcohol consumption; road traffic injuries and immunisation rates; Ireland was joint last with Japan.
In the health outcomes category which analyses rates of heart attack, cancer and suicide; Ireland ranked just above the US in second-last position.
Under health status, Ireland ranked joint 14th. While the proportion of babies born with low birth weight was relatively low, infant mortality was comparatively high.
The report described Ireland's healthcare system as "disappointing".