Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentations. I attended a briefing they gave in the audiovisual room recently at which many issues were covered. I will not go over many of the issues that were raised today. I welcome the positive aspects of the presentations.

I wish to refer to a couple of small points on medical card renewals. There seems to be a problem affecting people on community employment, Tús or back-to-education schemes. Some such people have come through our doors. It has taken them quite a while to sort out their problems. Even if they take up the schemes, and even if they take up employment, they should be entitled to keep their medical card. I have encountered a few people who have been without a card for a few months.

With regard to terminal illness, I agree on the point on doctors not being inclined to produce a letter. I encountered a case recently in which a person was asked for a land valuation. He had only 31 acres but, given his illness, he would be unable to work that land. It took quite a while to sort this out. This brings me back to the issue of direct contact and the ability to speak to a decision-maker face to face. Had I been able to speak to a decision-maker at the time, we could have sorted the problem within a day. We have been harping on about a dedicated line for public representatives for a long time. We just cannot seem to tie this down with the service. There is such a line for almost all other Departments we deal with. Will we ever have it?