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

I raised this issue last Thursday on the Order of Business when the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources was representing the Government. It relates to universal health insurance. I have gone through the legislative programme for this summer session and I cannot find any reference in it to universal health insurance. I know the ESRI has been charged with bringing about a costing model for this but in view of the fact that it is a central plank of Government policy on how it funds health services in the years ahead, when can we expect to see the legislation published so that we can have an informed debate on this issue prior to the general election? Is it ever going to happen? Are we going to pretend here week in and week out that the Government is pursuing a policy that will never see the light of day?

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