Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I agree with the Taoiseach that health is the most vulnerable sector. It is clear that there is an absence of any planning in this area. Surgery would not be cancelled to the extent that has occurred if there was any degree of planning in advance. There is now a nine month delay in processing medical card applications. There is not a Deputy in the House who has not been called by people about this issue, especially those who are applying to have their medical cards renewed. Does the Taoiseach realise that chronically ill patients who have been on medical cards for years have to pay between €120 and €150 to get life-saying medicine? It is very serious.

If people were planning and had some idea of what was happening on the ground, at least they would immediately tell pharmacists to allow the medication while the application for the medical card is being processed due to the inordinate delays at central level. The Government could take the practical step of making an executive order stating that those applying for a renewal of their medical card keep getting their medication under the old card until a decision has been made on their renewal application. Chronically ill patients are being put under enormous pressure when procuring life-saving drugs. I am not making that up. People across the House are regularly getting such calls. The Government could immediately act on this, as it could on community services, planned surgeries and so on.

Have any transition teams been established in any Department, or is it just something the Taoiseach invented on Sunday and is now going to follow through because it sounded good on "This Week"? Could he give Members the timeline for the establishment of these transition teams? They are urgently needed, especially in the health area.

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