Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Senators Gilroy, Crown, Cullinane and others asked me about that. I am very conscious of the issue of the timeline, particularly now that there seems to be such wide support for this legislation in the other House and here. It is under active and current consideration by the Government. I cannot say too much more than that because it is in a deliberative process but I would be hopeful of early decisions on it.

If I am pressed for my view, I have said previously that with regard to the next steps, we have gone to six years, and my personal view - I need to be careful because I am referring to the way I would like to see it rolling out - is that children and older people are public health priorities; all the literature tells us that. If we could move the provision to those under the age of 12, for example, or to those under the age of 18, and universalise it for the over 70s, that would be where I would be coming from in regard to this, but my Government colleagues will not thank me if I was to canvass it any more than that. I repeat that it is under active and current consideration in Government and it is fortified by the wide support here and in the Lower House for this legislation because it needs to be seen as the first step in the process and not as something that stands on its own.