Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

When will the Government publish the legislation which will take the medical card off old age pensioners? After this week, there are 15 sittings days left in this session to complete the Social Welfare Bill, in addition to the Finance Bill and the nursing homes Bill. The Bill which will take the medical card from pensioners will require considerable debate in the House, so I would like to know when it will be published.

Second, arising from questions yesterday, it would appear that the only legislative initiative which the Government is now contemplating to deal with gangland crime, including murders, as we have seen happening in Limerick, is the Government's response to the Garda Surveillance Bill, which was published by Deputy Rabbitte on behalf of the Labour Party. Is the Government accepting Deputy Rabbitte's Bill and, if so, can we have it dealt with in the House? Or is it introducing its own version of that Bill?

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