Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The Minister made an appeal earlier for support for the passage of this legislation. I remind her that in the earlier exchanges across the House on the Order of Business, I indicated clearly that I did not intend to oppose the passage of the Bill. This is not in response to her appeal but because, although I am not an advocate for private health insurance at any time, I accept the broad principle and merit of this legislation and its necessity at this time. I am prepared to make that independent judgment. I wish to clarify that we are not all of one mind on this side of the House and that we have independent thinking processes.

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