Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To be clear, we are not parking UHI; that is not what I said. I spoke about universal health care and universal health insurance. To me, universal health care includes a number of dimensions, for example, access to general practitioners without fees, which will be tax-funded, and access to primary care.

It also includes health insurance for everyone across the hospital system, which could be extended into primary care.

A public consultation was held on the White Paper and I will have it and publish it within weeks. At the end of quarter one 2015, I will have the costings for universal health insurance and at that point, instead of speculating about it, we will know what it will cost the Exchequer, employers and individuals and then we can take the debate from there. Practical progress is happening.

I am interested to know what is Fianna Fáil's policy on universal health insurance and universal health care. I have heard Deputy Kelleher speak on the radio about how we need to make the public system better and the private system better too. It seems the Fianna Fáil remains, as it always has been, committed to a two-tier health service, which marks a great contrast between Fianna Fáil and the parties on this side of the House, which are committed to a single-tier health system, even if it takes time to make it happen..

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