Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

The Taoiseach outlined on Leaders' Questions today that the Minister for Health has published detailed plans in the context of the universal health insurance but will he outline exactly at what stage are those plans? To date we have been unable to gather any information with regard to detailed plans. All we have is a commitment to set up an implementation body to oversee the Minister's opaque views on the whole issue of funding of the health services. That leads to the question raised previously by Deputy Martin in context of medical cards. If Members on the other side of the House are saying there is not an issue, they are not listening to the many thousands of people who contact all our offices on a daily and weekly basis who have been refused medical cards. It is a crying shame that we all have had cases brought to our attention of------

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