Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I support the amendment. I am sorry to see the Bill passing through the Dáil in any event. There are other ways the Minister could have saved the €24 million expected to come from this scheme. I refer to a drugs scheme in the past whereby if doctors issued prescriptions of cheaper drugs, they would be obliged to have their premises billed in respect of money paid back to the Department. Does this scheme still operate? Other measures could have been considered and savings could have been obtained from other schemes.

It is wrong to charge the most vulnerable people in society, those under extreme pressure already whose social welfare payments have already been cut. Such people are barely able to survive at present and now find they must pay an extra 50 cent per prescription up to €10.

The Minister must provide an exemption for people in nursing homes. We cannot allow a situation whereby such people, who are already paying 80% of their pensions and trying get by while their families try to support them, to prevail. The Minister must allow for exemptions. Who will administer the charge if they are unable to get medicine themselves? Many people in nursing homes are unable to do this themselves. I call on the Minister to make an exemption for people in public and private nursing homes. They should not have to pay this charge. It will not be easy for such people. In cases where medication is sourced for them, how are such people supposed to deal with the funding? This is wrong and I call on the Minister to do something about it.

The Minister refers to the limit of €10 per family. If a child is over 21 years and handicapped, he or she will not be included and will not be subject to an exemption. A given family could pay double, up to €20 per week. This matter should be carefully examined. The medical card charge is an attack on the most vulnerable and the weakest in society.

I support the Sinn Féin amendment on the basis that the charge will be forced through the Dáil. I refer to a valid point made by Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. The Deputy was correct to claim that last week people were concerned about stag hunting and were prepared to bring down the Government over the matter. Where are the members of Fianna Fáil, the Republican party, and the Green Party, which is supposed to defend the rights of the weakest in society, tonight? The Fianna Fáil backbenchers have already walked through the tunnel. They will do so again shortly to support this outrageous legislation. There has not been one word from one of them. They are all in favour of the measure. Last week they were concerned about dog breeding and stags but not at all concerned about the underprivileged in this country. Shame on Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and shame on anyone who could allow this to take place. If they believe animals are more important than people, I realise now why the people have turned on this Government.

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