Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Recent weeks have been troubling with regard to the matters to be addressed and some of the harsh measures presented. There have been occasional funny moments which have helped to keep our sanity in the midst of all of this. However, the Minister has cracked one of the funniest of all jokes that I have heard here for some time. I refer her suggestion to set the charge at zero and keep it under continuing review. If this were part of the Minister's intent, she would support the amendment. The logic is that the Minister would follow through by voting for the amendment. We seek to restrict the charge to what is proposed or less, including zero. This is a live option and one which I prefer. I would prefer if the legislation were never introduced but it is here now and we must deal with it. There can be hardly anyone in this Chamber who believes the Minister has any intention of reducing this figure any time soon and that any consideration will be given to such a proposition. The only thoughts in the heads of those who will have an impact on this charge in the future will relate to increases and how much more revenue can be generated out of the pockets of the most unfortunate in our society. Nobody is buying that.

The Minister referred to generic prescriptions and the comparison between figures for Northern Ireland, the neighbouring island and this State. That has nothing to do with what is proposed in the legislation. It is not the fault of medical cardholders that GPs are not prescribing more specific generic alternatives. This is something the Minister has to address and each of us, as health spokespersons, has indicated our support for every measure to curtail this outrageous expenditure. We note with alarm the Minister's suggestion that some generic alternatives have become more expensive than branded products. All of that must be wrestled with but it is not the fault of the medical cardholder and it has no place in this debate. That is part of what the Minister must do and I am addressing something she should not do, which is to take 50 cent out of the pockets of the poorest and most deserving in society for each prescription item they receive up to a €10 limit per month under the legislation.

There can be no question that this is a severe measure and the great fear of Deputies, and this Deputy in proposing the amendment, is that the figure will increase in the future. The Minister again used the word "modest". Deputy O'Sullivan said I had used the word but I was only referring to what the Minister and other Ministers have said. It is not a word I would employ and I do not see the measure in modest terms at all. However, in reply to contributions on this opening amendment, the Minister has used the word once again. Let us try to hold it at that. Surely if it is her view that this is modest and if it is, as she claimed, a live option to examine a zero charge in the future and that this will be kept under review, she should make sure that will be the case by accepting the amendment and using the word "lesser" as appropriate in two places in the opening section. Let us live up to that and let us hope that at some point in the future she will announce the reduction of this charge to zero. I will welcome that whenever it will present.

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