Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fair enough. During a Topical Issue debate, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, advised me to write to the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, in order that we might solve the problem. The Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, said we had been able to solve some of these issues in the past. We did not get that particular issue solved.

I was struck today by the press release issued by an extraordinary individual who is known to all of us in the House, Mr. Jonathan Irwin, who, at more than 70 years of age and not in the best of health, has devoted his life, and continues to do so, to working for children who are severely medically challenged. He referred to the Taoiseach's comments in the House today by stating:

The heartless letters being sent out to the families of children with severe disabilities as a result of brain damage, precious children under our wing, are an absolute disgrace. The Taoiseach must challenge the HSE and call a halt to this system which is torturing already stressed parents. Remember these are parents who simply want to care for their sick child at home, which makes sense medically, financially and morally. The HSE should be embracing these parents and supporting them to look after their child.

Instead, parents are receiving cold letters from the HSE in relation to applications for medical card-GP visit card; letters that make no mention of the child, and boldly state that "Your application will be considered closed unless information is received to support your application within 21 days from the date of this letter.

He went on to state:

My call to the Taoiseach today is simple. Please do the right thing on behalf of these sick children and their parents. Do what the UN Convention on the Rights of Children recommends in relation to sick children and their entitlement to medical cards. Fix this broken system so that Ireland's children in most need are granted their medical card in their own right. If you cannot do that immediately, fast track their applications in the meantime. This issue needs the immediate clout and the commitment from the Taoiseach to address it head on and I believe that Enda Kenny is the man to make this happen.

I do not know whether the Taoiseach will get directly involved. The Minister of State is the man who is charged with solving it. I do not believe the Minister of State would stand over the disgraceful treatment of many people with serious illnesses. This is what we are talking about. It is not a puff of smoke and I ask the Minister of State to take immediate action.

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