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

The Government's commitment to universal healthcare is a very real one. It is evidenced by the fact that prescription charges for people with medical cards are going down and by the fact that prescription charges for those who do not have medical cards are also going down through the reduction in the drugs payment scheme, DPS, monthly cap. It is also evidenced by the fact that we are extending general practitioner, GP, care without fees to more and more people. It will first be extended to those aged under six and over 70, then to those in receipt of carer's allowance and carer's benefit and then to children with severe disability or cancer. This month there has been an increase of 10% in the income limits for free GP care and that will mean that more low-income working families can qualify next year, including children aged seven and eight. That is what is happening from the Government's side to deliver on universal healthcare. It is happening in a slow way but in a way that meets and matches capacity. The decision made by the VHI is a decision made by one insurer and I do not believe the others are following suit. That decision is also in respect of private patients in private hospitals and not public hospitals. I understand that under a Solidarity system private medicine would be banned and private hospitals would be closed down.

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