Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The issue relating to medical cards has been well ventilated by previous speakers. However, I wish to make a technical point with regard to the review that was carried out during the summer months. In that regard, I refer, in particular, to those who are over 70. The language used in the letters sent out to people as part of the review was completely impenetrable, difficult and cumbersome. In addition, the letters frightened those over 70 years of age who received them. I would like the HSE to adopt a policy of using plain English in its correspondence with people. I was visited at my constituency office by numerous individuals who were quite entitled to retain their medical cards but who were petrified as a result of the tone used in the letters they received. This has happened on previous occasions, not with the Department of Health or the HSE but with other arms of government. If we have not already learned lessons from how the Revenue dealt with its situation, then it is time we did so. I would like our guests to comment on this matter and indicate how we might move forward in respect of it.

What is the timeline with regard to the commencement of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013? Where do we stand in the context of the appointment of panels of doctors and dealing with the other procedural issues which must be disposed of before the legislation can be commenced? The staff of our maternity hospitals are in limbo. This is also the case with pregnant women who continue to find themselves in the precarious situations such as those in which Savita Halappanavar and others like her found themselves in the past. What is the timelime for the implementation of the legislation?

What is the position regarding the Higgins report and the restructuring of hospitals and the promotion of hospital groups? When the report was published, we were informed that all the reforms being made in the area of health care are designed to ensure that patients will be seen at facilities as close as possible to their homes. Unfortunately, the latter is not proving to be the case. Prior to the emergence of the Higgins report, women could access maternity services in regional centres in their home towns. I refer, for example, the to the centre in Dungarvan. Maternity and ophthalmology services are not longer offered in county towns and women in County Waterford are obliged to travel to Waterford Regional Hospital to avail of them. This is a complete contradiction of what we were told when the Higgins report was published. Will our guests comment on that matter?