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Health Minister James Reilly delivered the opening address today at a National Healthcare Conference in Dublin. The Minister’s speech focused on “reforming the health system”.

The Minister said:

The introduction of Universal Health Insurance will be the most profound reform of our health system since the foundation of the State, and as with any real and worthwhile reform, it's not going to be easy.  We'll have to chart our course carefully with the needs of the patient as our constant priority and guiding star.

This was his first official public engagement since taking up the post of Minister for Health.

The Minister concluded by summing up his message:

That end objective of all the reforms I've touched on is to deliver a healthcare system that:

• keeps people healthy
•  provides equitable access to services based on need,
•  is of the highest quality and
•  represents value for money.

In other words, the journey of reform is toward a health service that all have access to and feel safe in and that those who work in are proud of.