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

Clearly, what the Government is doing is ensuring that those who need the supports of the State most do not get it and that those who can afford them will be able to access their GPs for free. Would the Tánaiste not agree that if the Government is genuinely interested in social solidarity that it should revisit this and ensure there is funding in place for those who need it most? We can address the issue of universality when conditions improve but in the meantime, we should not ask the old and the sick to pay for this particular policy.

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