James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

Absolutely. I welcome debate and full discussion. One should bear in mind it took the Dutch 20 years to achieve their model. We are learning from their mistakes and what they did right. Therefore, we do not need to reinvent the wheel. None the less, Ireland is a very different country, geographically, culturally and in terms of population. We know there are many variations on the Dutch system that will not work here but that the core of it can and will. We must ensure we have a properly regulated health insurance market before we proceed. There are many aspects to be considered. There will be many full debates as the various parts of the programme are put together so we can realise what I believe is a worthy aspiration, namely, that everybody in the country will have access to medical care based on need, not on what they can afford.

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