Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This power is given to the Minister under section 5. In my view, it is a power that might work better if it were put before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. I refer to the issuing of guidelines with regard to those ordinarily resident in the State. I know that this posed significant challenges for Irish people who had to go abroad to work because they could not find work at home. Their work permits having expired, they were forced to come home, but when they applied for medical cards they were told they had to negotiate all sorts of hoops and banners in order to prove they were ordinarily resident in the State. Those definitions and guidelines are better when they are considered and examined by a number of different parliamentarians - for example, in a committee. If there is one thing we know as parliamentarians, it is the difficulties encountered by people when they try to fit within the guidelines laid down by Departments. I ask the Minister of State to give a commitment that draft guidelines be brought in the first instance to the Joint Committee on Health and Children.

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