Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Second Stage debate on the Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013. What a nice PR savvy title for legislation. This legislation provides for a serious reduction in the number of people eligible for a medical card. It seeks the withdrawal from entitlement to a medical card of 35,000 people over the age of 70. Simply put, this legislation is a deplorable betrayal of our senior citizens and of the men and women who fought hard for the country in which we live today.

The irony of the Taoiseach's statement today in the context of a further hike in the cost of health insurance that it was necessary to protect older people while we are discussing legislation that will ensure that 35,000 of them will no longer be eligible for a medical card or GP visit card will not be lost on the people. This legislation provides that the income limit for an over 70s medical card for a single person will be €500 per week and for a couple will be €900 per week.

The Minister, Deputy Reilly, when Fine Gael Opposition spokesperson on health, said:

Dáil Éireann demands the immediate reversal of the Government's decision to withdraw the automatic entitlement to a medical card from citizens aged over 70. This decision is penny wise and pound foolish.

That is what he had to say at a time when income limits were much more generous than are provided for in this legislation.

On discretionary medical cards, the Taoiseach and Minister for Health have suggested there will be no change in the eligibility criteria for discretionary medical cards yet savings in the region of €120 million are to be made in this area. How is it possible to secure savings of €120 million if there is to be no change to the eligibility criteria or reduction in the number of people who can avail of discretionary cards? During the first nine months of this year on average 1,154 fewer discretionary medical cards were issued each month. What the Government is saying does not add up. Discretionary cards are awarded to people with chronic and serious illnesses, which illnesses are being compounded by this Government's policies. This Government's policies are having a negative impact on people granted discretionary medical cards based on illness. I will give two examples, the first of which was referred to when we previously discussed this issue. A young girl from my constituency who is over five years of age and as such does not quality for free GP care services, is fed through a peg in her stomach and has received in excess of 40 injections into her stomach had her discretionary medical card withdrawn despite her mother providing the HSE with further medical evidence to support her case, which decision was reversed following the issue being highlighted by her mother on Joe Duffy's "Liveline" programme. The second case involved a man over 70 years of age who was approved for a medical card in September only to have his eligibility reviewed in October.

It is obvious there are major administrative problems within the HSE medical card section which need to be addressed. The Government should first try to address the administrative problems in the system before withdrawing medical cards from 35,000 senior citizens. This Bill should be titled what it is, namely, a grab on our senior citizens once again.

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