Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I support this motion in regard to discretionary medical cards. This is an issue about which I am deeply concerned. The withdrawal of medical cards from sick and elderly people is in my view an act of social vandalism. It is shameful in the extreme. It is an attack on the sick and the elderly, the most vulnerable in our society. The Labour Party should be ashamed of its involvement in this matter. Not only are Connolly and Larkin turning in their graves, so too are Brendan Corish and Frank Closkey. They would not have countenanced such an attack on sick and elderly people.

This Government must stop terrorising sick and elderly people across the country. This is what is happening. The Government's austerity policies are targeting sick and elderly people. It is targeting the medical cards of current medical card holders across the country. This policy is being implemented by the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Government. It is not possible to overstate the fact that sick and elderly people are traumatised and living in daily fear of losing their medical cards. The post man or woman, always a welcome sight for sick and elderly people, is now a source of anxiety lest he or she might bring the dreaded white envelope in which is a letter stating their card is under review and may be withdrawn.

Let us be clear about what is happening. Sick and elderly people are being targeted by this Government in order to protect banks, bondholders and the 10,000 top earners in this country who each earn €595,000 per annum. It has always been the position that people with serious medical conditions in need of urgent or ongoing medical care qualified for a discretionary medical card. This is still the stated policy of the Health Service Executive. However, it has now de facto changed and is not being implemented. Medical cards are being withdrawn. The fact is that many people with cancer and motor neuron disease are being denied medical cards or are having existing cards withdrawn. Another section of society affected is the elderly, including people from their sixties to their nineties whose cards are not due for review and are valid, having been assessed, approved and issued by the HSE, in some cases, up to 2020. These people are being punished by this Government to satisfy the greed of bankers and bondholders.

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