Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I will start with Senator David Cullinane's point on universality. He is correct that I have addressed this before in the course of the discussion on this Bill and other discussions. It is a discussion we have in both Chambers and across the board when talking about health services generally. The question of universality arises in respect of other public services also. I am a subscriber to the principle of universality in terms of access to medical care and treatment on the basis of medical need rather than ability to pay. There is a long tradition of support for that approach, not just in my party but also in other parties. It has been achieved to a greater or lesser extent at various times in our history, but there is certainly a tradition of support for universality across the board. This is worth bearing in mind when examining the future of health services. I am not 100% sure about the current position of Fianna Fáil on universal health insurance but I do not believe it is opposed to it in principle.