Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and his office for the opportunity to raise this most important issue. It is based on a case in the Louth constituency where both spouses are undergoing treatment for cancer in the same hospital. It is hardly necessary for me to outline in detail the trauma and stress this brings on a family. A medical card application is in the system and under consideration, but no final or definitive decision has been made because of a concern that the income is marginally above what will allow them to qualify.

The regular process of applying for a medical card and the completion and submission of supporting documentation can be stressful and traumatic for families that are in difficult health situations. While I do not want to be negative, the cancer may be terminal for one or both of the spouses. One can only imagine the stress imposed on the family when, while undergoing chemotherapy, these people must hunt down the financial documents and other information that are necessary to bring a successful conclusion to their applications.

We need to consider the special circumstances that obtain, not only for the family I have in mind, but for other families across the country. We need to streamline contact arrangements so that a designated person in the medical card section in Finglas can deal specifically with inquiries and submissions of information. It is important that families and public representatives have an opportunity to communicate directly via telephone with the official dealing with their cases. E-mail is fine in its own way, but contact via telephone is necessary to ensure that all of the information is available as required.

Some time ago, our spokesman on health, Deputy Kelleher, advocated in the House the possibility of issuing time-bound medical cards to cancer patients upon diagnosis, irrespective of income. It would not be an open-ended medical card, but it could be reviewed after a specific period and renewed, if that is what the circumstances dictate.

Serious financial hardships are imposed on families whose members are in and out of hospital for treatment or must stay in hospital for long periods. They have mortgages, some of their members may be in third or second level education and others may be ill. In many instances, the families' circumstances are dire.

We must examine the system. I appreciate that processing medical cards is demanding work, as people are under severe financial stress and are anxious to have medical card cover. In the circumstances that I have just outlined, however, a special processing arrangement is required. It is fine to claim that a committee or panel will examine the details, but criticising the officials involved is unsatisfactory. The arrangements are also unsatisfactory and need to be addressed urgently.

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