James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

Fine Gael believes in universal health care for all. We will strive to achieve that through our policy commission. Our neighbours across the water were able to introduce it in 1948, despite having been brought to their knees by a world war that lasted six years.

The bottom line is that the trust is broken. Once the principle of universal provision is gone, the Minister can reduce thresholds with a stroke of her pen whenever she likes. We are at a crossroads. We can vote one way for liberty — the liberty of the elderly to live without the worry of medical expenses. We can vote one way for equality, so that all over 70s are treated the same. We can vote for fraternity, all of us standing together on this issue. Or we can vote for the way of the Minister for Health and Children, Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and their discredited Ireland which robs the elderly of their medical cards.

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