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

That is an extraordinary reply. We are back to the same old view that has been expressed by the Minister in recent times in respect of universal health care. I remind the Minister that the programme for Government states:

This Government will introduce Universal Health Insurance with equal access to care for all...A system of Universal Health Insurance (UHI) will be introduced by 2016, with the legislative and organisational groundwork for the system complete with this Government's term of office.

The idea that the Government is now saying that no due diligence was done on how it would implement universal health insurance in advance of the last election and in advance of putting it into the programme for Government is extraordinary. It is the case that the Government is making this up as it goes along. It is evident that the Minister is fundamentally opposed to universal health insurance. The Taoiseach is attaching himself to it with pretence. He comes into the House and effectively says he is committed to it, although the Minister has abandoned the idea of bringing in universal health insurance.

Many Members subscribe to the idea of universal health care, but the question of how we fund our health services is the critical issue. We are not talking about opposing some concept of universal health care, but universal health insurance is the Government's stated way of funding universal health care and the Government seems to have abandoned it. We need honesty and straight, upfront views on what the Government is going to do with regard to universal health insurance.

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