Pete Lunn

Yeah, I think there's an important distinction to be made here actually between being against private health care and believing in what the minister writes in the Mail on Sunday this morning where she says in her opening paragraph, when the Irish taxpayer funds a service, that service must be delivered fairly and equally to everyone who needs it.

And I think the point here is really whether the state is also subsidising that private healthcare so that some people, so it's a two-tier system, so that some people are getting more.

Right, so what, yes.

So what I was about to say is, I mean, in many ways, I think what's interesting about this to me is this is a kind of minor skirmish in a much bigger war.

I mean, slaunter care is essentially a process, as I understand it, by which Irish medicine becomes more socialised.

and becomes more like a national health service and becomes more based on ideas of equality and fairness in a country where almost half the people have private health insurance and where there are vested interests because there are professions who are making very large amounts of money.

And that's going to be a really difficult battle.

And this is a skirmish within that battle.

Ultimately, you have to decide whether you believe in a health service that is based on equality and fairness or whether you believe in something else.

And, I mean, that's what this debate is ultimately about, whatever about contracts.

Yeah, it's kind of fascinating that one because it's headlined as being primarily about the threat to withdraw funding.

But actually, when you look at it, there are obviously unattributed quotes from cabinet ministers there.

And it really goes to the heart of the issue.

It's really about whether it's right that people should be able to continue to avail of private services.

And clearly, if that article is correct, and I mean, there are people quoted in it, there's no reason to think it isn't.

When I was talking earlier about this kind of skirmish in a war, well, that skirmish is taking place around the cabinet table as well as in broader society.

It's about very late frost in Kilgarvin.

Just a quick point.

I mean, one of the things I thought was amazing about the interview, actually, was, you know, clearly this is about as upset as we've seen this man.

And yet he is an absolute populist to the core.