Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

I intend no disrespect to the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, but the senior Minister at the Department of Health and Children should be present for the debate. It is a reflection on the House and on the public in general that neither the Tánaiste nor any of her Ministers of State is present.

The Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004, which was introduced before Christmas, was rushed legislation. Such legislation is almost always bad. The Bill before us is also being rushed through the House and will be the subject of a guillotine at 1.30 p.m. tomorrow. Members will not have had an opportunity to discuss it in the time available.

I wish to put a direct question to the Tánaiste in respect of private nursing homes. Has she obtained legal advice on the position of private patients in private nursing homes? Did she request such advice and has she received it? If she has not requested it, will she please do so and communicate the details of it to Members when she receives it? A serious legal issue has arisen in respect of private patients in private nursing homes in terms of whether they are covered in the same way as medical card holders in public hospitals and nursing homes are covered. I meet people on a daily basis who have been forced to enter private nursing homes — they are paid a subvention to facilitate this — because when they applied, through their relevant health board or through the Health Service Executive for places in public hospitals or nursing homes no such places were available. These patients are entitled to full coverage in the homes to which I refer. The Tánaiste should either outline the advice she has received in respect of that matter or seek such advice and pass it on to Members.

As regards medical cards, this is another issue on which the Government has reneged. In the most recent general election we were promised that 200,000 full medical cards would be provided. That promise has not been kept. I predict that in a short number of years there will be more "yellow pack" or doctor-only medical cards than full medical cards. These cards represent a way to undermine the entire medical card system. The promise relating to medical cards that was made during the general election campaign should be kept. People who suffer from conditions such as asthma should be entitled to full medical cards.

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