Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

We were told there would be a major increase in the supplement in respect of children and that it would be indexed in accordance with the industrial wage. A family with two children is deemed by the Minister to be too wealthy to receive a medical card if the parents are on the minimum wage. At €17,800 they will be deemed too wealthy to receive a medical card. What sort of planning for the future is that if low income families cannot be permitted receive care for their children from a doctor when needed? It is so shortsighted and such an abandonment of the sense of equity that the Minister said would inspire his budget that I cannot understand the thinking.

Children will be affected by the decision to provide no extra psychological assessment services in the coming year.

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