Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Does he realise his Government has removed one of the measures that incentivised people on very low incomes, especially those with children, to return to the workforce? Notwithstanding the rhetoric in which it engages, the Government is disincentivising people from returning to work by withdrawing their medical card.

I was astonished to read the response to a parliamentary question I submitted on this issue earlier in the week. Not only is the Government in the process of removing one of the few incentives for people in long-term unemployment to return to work, but the reply stated that the Department will not seek a refund of the costs of the medical card provided to those who returned and retained access to essential medical services. This is an outrageous statement. People who returned to work on the understanding that they would retain their medical card will no longer qualify for the medical card and will be means tested from now on. I cannot imagine anything more mean-spirited that this measure. As I indicated, the left hand does not have a clue what the right hand is doing in terms of providing for a sustainable strategy that will ensure people can move out of long-term unemployment and into work.

On the substantive issue, the decision to cut the invalidity pension does not make any sense. It is another example of the Government hammering people on very low incomes. This time, those affected are at a late stage in their lives, namely, in their mid-60s. In certain circumstances, couples in which one spouse is in receipt of an invalidity pension and the other is a dependant, will lose in excess of €100 per week. There is no defence of this measure. I appeal to this, in many ways heartless Government to rethink this awful measure.

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