Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The examples that have been given are being given in the context of social welfare. This has no application to social welfare. There is no point in invoking examples from the social welfare code in support of an argument on the question of medical cards. They are two completely different regimes. What we are dealing with here is medical cards and a specific provision which is not new in terms of its antecedents. It is neither a new idea nor a new provision. It is simply being newly applied in this particular context. I emphasise that Deputy Kelleher very reasonably said that if someone had made a major contribution to the country and returns he or she should be entitled to avail of the provisions set out in the legislation. I say that he is right. If someone comes back to Ireland with the intention to stay he or she will have no difficulty proving ordinary residence. I do not have the guidelines in front of me but I am advised that people who have been staying in a place for a year are clearly ordinarily resident and meet the criteria or that people can say they intend to stay and produce a rent book to prove he or she qualifies. These requirements are at the liberal end of the spectrum. The criteria is not domicile, tax status or other onerous requirement, it is ordinary residence and it is relatively easy to show.

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