Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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686. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide the latest details on universal health insurance, the stage the scoping exercise for funding is at; when this funding estimate will be released; when the next stage of its introduction will be progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21552/15]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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788. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide the latest details on the estimated cost of universal health insurance; if the estimated cost for persons, households and the Exchequer, that had originally been expected by April 2015, is now known; the exact figures in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21990/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 788 together.

The White Paper on Universal Health Insurance was published on the 2 April 2014 and outlines the UHI model for Ireland. Under UHI, everyone will be insured for a standard package of health services and will have their choice of health insurer from a mix of private health insurers and a publicly owned health insurer.

When I became Minister for Health, I reviewed progress to date and the timescales for implementing very important reforms, including UHI. I concluded that it would not be possible to introduce a full UHI system by 2019, as envisaged in the White Paper. However, I want to emphasise my commitment to implementing reforms, as set out in the Programme for Government and Future Health, and I want to push ahead with key building blocks for universal healthcare, including the phased extension of GP care without fees, implementation of key financial reforms, including activity-based funding, the establishment of Hospital Groups and improved chronic care management, as quickly as possible.

My Department, in conjunction with the ESRI, the Health Insurance Authority and the HSE, is currently working on a major costing exercise to examine the cost implications of a change to a multi-payer, universal health insurance model as proposed in the White Paper. Initial draft results were presented to me at the end of May and these are now informing deliberation on next steps, including the necessity for further research and cost modelling.