Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raised this issue in my opening remarks and I instanced a case only this week where a person with a disability since childhood, having had a medical card while experiencing very serious associated issues, including a bowel condition, and high medical costs, had the medical card taken away on income grounds. We are not talking about massively exceeding thresholds but rather people who are relatively or marginally in excess of the qualifying figures. It is a harsh process and if a person is dependent on the card, the loss could have the most serious consequences. It delivers a very serious blow to such people and their families, with the intimation being that we almost do not care as a society. That is not good enough. I also know of a case this year of somebody confined to a wheelchair from early on who has had a medical card. That person has a work opportunity within a non-governmental organisation with limited income levels and that person has lost the medical card as well. The person is serving peer groups of people with disabilities, so it is a crazy decision.