James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I wish to address an issue raised by Deputy Tom Hayes. Many people with cystic fibrosis are entitled to a medical card. The recent decision by the Government and the HSE to centralise applications for medical cards is causing chaos. It is to be centralised in Finglas but I am informed that some of it may even be outsourced. There is certainly not the expertise that exists in local areas for patients, and there is certainly no local knowledge. I have a letter from my local health office expressing grave concern that priority is not being given to people with terminal illnesses, including cancer. This issue needs to be addressed by the Minister at a later stage and I will table a parliamentary question on it.

The Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, referred to the integrity of the Minister for Health and Children. I wish to examine that assertion. Does integrity mean misleading the Dáil when she told me that GPs had agreed a protocol for referral for cancer patients, when they had not? That tells its own story. Does integrity mean promising Orla Tinsley that she would have a CF unit by the end of 2010? In response to a question from Deputy Shatter, the Minister clearly said that it would be available in 2010, and that nobody was saying otherwise. Is integrity defined by promising a cervical vaccine to children to protect them against cancer, and then reneguing on that three months later? If that is the Minister of State's definition of integrity, I will repeat what I said to him during his few minutes' speech. It is the sort of integrity that he is welcome to, and on which his Government has expounded quite a bit.

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