Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

There are major changes under way in the administration of the medical card system. Under the McCarthy report recommendations, many more thousands of people will lose their medical cards. I hope this is one of the elements of the report which the Tánaiste would regard as making no sense at all and it will not be presented.

Given the promised legislation list published by the Government last week, the Department of Health and Children has given no commitment to present in the current year the eligibility for health and personal social services Bill. I received a letter from the Taoiseach before the summer recess advising that the Bill would present this year. It has again been stated that the Department is not in a position to state when it will be published.

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