Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

All I want to do is echo my two colleagues. This is a key component of the commitment in the programme for Government that the Minister has delivered. It is a phenomenal step forward in universal healthcare and implementing Sláintecare. It is going to make a genuine difference to people's lives. As Senator Murphy said, people are not going to debate whether to stay in hospital or discharge themselves because of money. Money is not going to be the issue and it should never be the issue. I agree with all of what Senator Boyhan has said about internal and external critics. Some of it is constructive while a lot of it is not. The Minister was reappointed last December and I am sure it was a very proud day for him. That spoke volumes about the work he is doing. Hopefully, as time moves on he will see the fruits of his enormous heavy lifting and the work he has done. Not alone is he in the most difficult brief in government but he also had it during the pandemic. He steered the ship out of the pandemic. I hope he will now see some of his reforms coming to light. This is a key reform.