Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I oppose the Bill. When introducing the Bill, the Minister of State said: "The Bill will provide for a GP service to be made available without fees to all children aged five years and younger."

In a country where the problem is that the rich get richer, the response of the Oireachtas is "let's give the rich free health care." The evidence from the ESRI studies on EU-SILC is that 69.5% of children reported not having to go without any item in the indicators of poverty. The Legislature at the behest of the richest people in society is saying "have free medical care for your kids and by the way, as the Taoiseach said last week, bring in the oldies as well". Redistribution in society involves those who can putting money into the kitty so that we can give it to those who cannot. We are giving medical cards to people without a means test in a year in which we withdrew them from people who were in genuine need. This is what people voted against in the local elections. It related to the way the medical cards were withdrawn.

One cannot live in a dream world where one redistributes towards everybody. Somebody has to put money in. Coupled with the measure announced by the Taoiseach, this is one of the most regressive measures that has ever come before the House. I disagree with my learned and respected colleague, Senator Bacik. This is not progressive. It is regressive in income distribution terms. With the Irish tax system, there is no doubt about what the Government is doing. It is giving a gift to the richest people in a country where the top rate of tax is paid by people on below average incomes. This is what the Government is doing. It should be under no illusion that this is progressive in social terms. It is giving to the richest people in society. I am very sorry that so many people in Government see it that way but that is why there is such alienation from politics in Irish society. We always listen to the wrong people when we are engaged in income distribution policies. This is why I oppose the Bill.