Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Solicitors send letters to the people concerned. Does the Taoiseach believe it is fair or reasonable that a family on that level of income, of €500 or less a week, should pay the charge? They have a sick child, cannot get a doctor and even if they could, the call out charge for a doctor would be of that order anyway.

The Taoiseach is right. They decide, as most parents would, faced with a sick child in the middle of the night, to get the care. They will bring the child to the hospital. The problem is where they will find the €100 to pay for it. On that level of income, that is a very severe charge. Is the Taoiseach suggesting that, if the hospital visit were to be on a Thursday night before pay day, that the family call around by the hospital on the way home from work on the Friday and pay €100 from the small wage they have? Is that how they will pay and is that a fair charge? This was one of the increases applied in the budget and it will impact on people on that level of income. Does the Taoiseach think this is fair?

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