Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

That is fine and I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. A Programme for a Partnership Government refers to the introduction of universal healthcare. How does that tally with the news that the VHI will provide access to new cancer drugs that will not be available for public patients? Does the Taoiseach agree that the very notion of two-tier cancer treatment is horrific? Does he also agree that it means embedding a deep inequality within our health service and that it brings us closer to the horrific model of private healthcare in the United States? In reality, this will mean that those able to afford access to VHI will be able to get different treatment and, ultimately, potentially a better chance of surviving cancer than those relying on public health services. It will result in a further undermining of our public health system and an extension and deepening of the two-tier nature of that system. It will take us away from what we stand for which is the idea of a properly funded one-tier national health service.

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