Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and commend her on her new enhanced portfolio. I commend the former Minister and Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputies White and Reilly, and their officials on the progress of this Bill. I welcome its imminent passage and I very much hope it will be passed shortly today. I wish the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, very well in continuing the reform of the health care system. All should agree that this is progressive and important reform which seeks to ensure that all children under six years will have access to free GP care. This is of major importance to parents and families. It is par for the course for this Government to roll out proper reform for the first time in the history of the State, to end the current model of a two-tier health service and to move towards a system in which people are genuinely getting treatment on the basis of need and not means. I really welcome that. I very much welcome this Bill as a first stage in that reform and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, for her continued commitment.