Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The people included in these provisions are the people to whom the Health Act 1970 applies, people regarded as fully eligible, namely, medical card holders. That is the first time the concept of full eligibility was introduced. Those with physical disabilities may well be included. I am not certain that everybody with a physical disability would incur a maintenance-shelter charge.

I understand that when a memorandum came to John Boland, he stated in his own handwriting that he wanted to include the charges issue. There is no evidence in the Department or elsewhere that advice was given to him to do that. The view was taken that perhaps because of his legal background or his experience on a health board, he was aware there was a problem around this issue. He was only a caretaker Minister for a couple of weeks, which is remarkable. The same memorandum went to the subsequent Government and it made a decision to introduce the elements of the budget which introduced charges for outpatient and inpatient services.

With regard to this issue, which was part of the decision sought, that Government said it would be done as relevant and that the Taoiseach, and the Ministers for Finance and Health and Children would meet to discuss the matter. There is no record of that ever happening but I have not spoken to anyone about that.

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