The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has denied that she changed her mind when she decided last month not to enforce risk equalisation in the health insurance market.
On RTÉ's This Week programme, Ms Harney said that she had been advised by the Health Insurance Authority to activate risk equalisation, but that there was no imminent threat of instability in the market.
She denied the Government had given in to commercial pressures and said she had the discretion to make her own decision.
The minister explained that she would get advice from the Health Insurance Authority again in six months' time, before deciding to introduce risk equalisation.
Proposals on the future of VHI will also be taken to the Cabinet, she said.
