Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is difficult to accept this ruling simply because a case has been made by the Minister of State and his party and the Taoiseach and his party and the current Minister of Health, when he was in opposition, to the effect that introducing eligibility criteria for the over 70s would impose a cost on the Exchequer because people would be discouraged from accessing primary care. The commentary relating to this matter for some time indicated that universality of entitlement was both of benefit and a cost-saving exercise in terms of people being in a position to access health care. How amendments Nos. 1 and 2 involve a cost to the Exchequer is beyond me. I am trying to ensure that as many people as possible will be eligible for medical cards because all of the evidence cited by the Minister of State and others indicates that access to primary care is the cheapest option in the context of the provision of health care. It would actually benefit the State if more people had access to primary care services rather than the opposite, which is what the Minister for Health is seeking to achieve by means of the Bill before us. I thought that the amendments would be roundly endorsed, particularly as they would lead to the Exchequer saving money rather than losing it. I do not accept the ruling.