Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that movement is taking place and it is urgent movement that is desperately required at this stage. I know that other Deputies and councillors besides those of us here are inundated with urgent phone calls from people. They are frantic to get to the North before 31 December because they are going blind. We need 100% confirmation that this scheme or a scheme like it will continue and that people can go to the private hospitals in the North regardless of where they are so that this can continue. I am not making this up because if the Minister of State came down to the lower floor of the Chamber to me later on I will show him a list where over 100 people have phoned me over the last week begging me to take them North because they think that the scheme is going to end.

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