Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It is not about retaining significant numbers. It is about extending and expanding. That is what we should be at. Mr. Flanagan made a point about modelling. I had enormous difficulty, as I am sure representatives from other parties had, in trying to get access to some modelling on extending income limits for people under 70 and under 66 when preparing an alternative budget. I also saw from searching parliamentary questions that many other parties have done the same and were refused. The types of answers that were provided very much steered people away from the whole question of medical cards and told us about GP visit cards, just as Mr. Flanagan is doing here this morning. It is partly a political decision but there also seems to be a view within the Department about limiting access to medical cards. I do not think it is fair for a start and I do not think it makes sense either in terms of ensuring we use a wider range of care services for people rather than just GP visit cards. I am very interested in seeing the modelling Mr. Flanagan referred to because it was not provided by way of parliamentary question replies. I do not know why that is. That is something we need to pursue thoroughly.

Many of us are interested in the principle of extending access to medical cards. What we are doing here is fine but arguably, people who have accommodation to spare in their homes and can let that out without any tax implications and without any implication for access to a medical card are in a far more privileged position than, say, a 63-year-old who has a chronic illness and is in a single-room flat. There is an inequality of treatment inherent in what is happening. That is also inherent in the very significant trend towards concentration on GP visit cards as opposed to medical cards. Of course there is a range of other entitlements that would come if a person had a medical card. I am concerned. I want to see the modelling the Department has been doing.

I am out of time, unfortunately. I would like to ask some questions on the pharmacy issue but we might come to those. We might get a chance before I have to leave.