Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Social Protection has had detailed meetings and discussions with the organisations and groups who deal with those in receipt of special protection. She can also give detailed accounts of when and where these meetings took place, as well as the issues which arose. Following that, each Minister had a bilateral engagement with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform about the ceilings to be laid out and the issues to be presented in regard to their budget for 2013. It is true that following all these engagements core payments were protected, those on the minimum wage were progressed and those who are in the lowest level of employment were exempted from the universal social charge, USC. There was a real attempt made in the budget to progress the jobs agenda and employment opportunities and, to put it mildly, to focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Pharmacists have rung me up to tell me it was about time somebody did something about prescription charges because of the level of over-prescribing that takes place. The Minister for Health and his Department are now focusing on an analysis of general practitioner prescribing. Trends become obvious very quickly, with particular GPs in some areas continuing to prescribe enormous amounts of medication.

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