Last week, the Minister for Finance came into this House and effectively drove a coach and four through the Government's health policy on the terms of universal health insurance by announcing a cap on the relief for premia for private health insurers. Given the commitment in the programme for Government that universal health insurance would be implemented, where lies the White Paper on universal health insurance? That is a central plank of the Government's policy, but the Minister for Finance seems to be undermining the taking out of health insurance, which is a policy statement of the Government of which he is a member.

The first step in the provision of universal health insurance is the free GP care for under fives. The White Paper on universal health insurance, leading towards universal health insurance, is to be published by the close of this year or very early in the new year.