Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I want to make three points and will conclude with a question. Many colleagues have made many of the points I wish to cover, and they have done so emphatically.

It is important to clear up one aspect. It was not the Opposition Members on this side of the House who caused the panic, worry or hysteria. It was the actions of the Government and its inability to communicate clearly what it had done, the people who would be affected and its strategy to deal with people in distress or those with questions about the position in which they find themselves. Myself or my colleagues did not whip up anybody over that; it was the actions of the Government, its incompetence and inability to explain clearly what it was seeking to do.

My first point concerns the principle of universality. I have heard many Members on the Government side argue this morning that millionaires should not have access to medical cards. I disagree with them in that regard. They should have such access. I believe in the principle of universality and in it extending to public services, access to which should be potentially open to everybody. The reason I believe millionaires or High Court judges, which is the example I hear used often, should have access to medical cards is that they should have the ability to be in the same queue as me waiting to see a doctor, in the same accident and emergency room or queuing to use the same medical service. The same thinking underpins the ideal that all people, regardless of their background or class, should be educated in the same schools and treated equally. Credit must be given to the Government on this count in that in this respect at least it is being consistent. The same thinking that leads to the withdrawal of the medical card from a certain group of people within our society, is the rationale that underpins the idea of co-located hospitals. That philosophy is one I entirely reject——