Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The cull of discretionary medical cards continues unabated. This involves taking cards from very sick and terminally ill people. Such people are still being asked to document and prove they have incurable conditions. Many of these cases are well known to the health authorities. Letters continue to issue in pursuit of a policy change this Government has decided upon, which is essentially to get rid of discretionary medical cards. It continues, as revealed in today's edition of the Irish Mirror where a terrible headline reads "Prove you're dying". It relates to a very high-profile case known to everyone in this House and the entire country. It is the case of Marie Fleming who is pursuing legislation for assisted suicide. Her condition is well known. She is terminally ill, yet she did not get her medical card automatically renewed. She was asked to provide documentary evidence to prove her condition is incurable. Her partner, Tom Curran, has spoken about the indignity of that.

It illustrates what thousands of families comprising many people with significant medical conditions are experiencing because of a fundamental change in policy in respect of discretionary medical cards. These are people who had cards for many years because of their conditions.

Last week, I raised the case of Katie Connolly, a child with Down's syndrome, and Ronan Woodhouse. I also raised the case of a 11 and a half year old child with a very rare syndrome. Thousands more are anxious and fearful of what the health service plan has in store for people with medical cards.

Will the Taoiseach once and for all accept there has been a change of policy in respect of discretionary medical cards? The revelation in today's Irish Mirrorpertaining to Marie Fleming is a further illustration of that reality. The Taoiseach spoke last week about the information flowing around as an unreality, but the reality is there for Marie Fleming, Katie Connolly and Ronan Woodhouse.

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