Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his eloquent explanation as to the reason this is only a technical amendment. However, it is amending the substance of the Bill itself, which is to change the income guidelines and the eligibility criteria. While the amendment itself is technical, the section under discussion is the one which effectively legislates for a U-turn of huge proportions. It is a U-turn in the context of elderly people who will lose their entitlement to a medical card. I have made this point publicly and in the committee rooms on Committee Stage. My party has raised this point here in the Chamber numerous times and the Minister of State still has not given me a satisfactory answer. If it was bad for people's health a number of years ago to have income guidelines placed on them of €1,400 per week, why is it not bad for them now at €900 per week? I really must understand this. Previously, the parties in government had stated that in the case of any people over 70 who lost their medical cards, it could have a detrimental impact on their ability to access health care. However, the Minister of State now tells me it is not as bad as the Government parties then thought and, in fact, €900 per week for a couple is quite adequate and sufficient and this will only affect a small cohort. However, this measure will affect one in ten of those concerned, that is, 35,000 people. Consequently, from the time of the enactment of this Bill, 35,000 people will find they no longer will be eligible for medical cards because of the reduction in the eligibility criteria.

Moreover, not having a medical card will have a profound impact on their ability to access medical care and I will tell the Minister of State the reason this is the case. He may tell me this measure is not that bad, because such people will have a GP-visit card and while this is the case, when they are obliged to go to hospital and do not have private health insurance - because they cannot afford that any longer as a result of the Government's policies - they will be obliged to pay for hospital care. This is because the Government has increased hospital charges to €80 up to a maximum of ten days, which comes to €800 in a year. On top of that, the Government also has decided to increase prescription charges. The reason I highlight all these matters is that consistency is a word that is much maligned in this Chamber. However, there is no consistency in respect of what the Government has proposed, even in the context of the programme for Government.

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