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

My difficulty is that we have been raising this issue for over two years. In that time we have drawn a complete blank in obtaining an admission that there is a difficulty in respect of those with discretionary medical cards. Last week, however, there was some semblance of a response from the Minister when some 20 of his colleagues in Fine Gael raised this issue at a parliamentary party meeting and he acknowledged that we at least had to consider it. We must do more than this. In good times and bad, the process of governing involves establishing priorities and making choices. In that context, the Minister has, unfortunately, got caught in a bind between the commitments made in respect of free GP care and trying to fund a health service which, for many reasons, is inadequately resourced. I accept all of the responsibility my party bears in that regard and which the Minister outlines on a continual basis. In this instance, however, the difficulty has arisen on foot of a choice made by him initially. It is echoed in similar choices being made on a daily basis by the Department of Health and the HSE and under his watch. As a result of the choices to which I refer, resources are being transferred from those who need them most to persons who may not need them at all. That is clearly wrong.

As a result of a television interview on Saturday night last, people have been made aware of the case of Alex Coyle. There are hundreds of similar cases. Organisations which represent and advocate on behalf of people with profound intellectual and physical disabilities and life-limiting illnesses have stated it is inherently more difficult for people to retain discretionary medical cards or access full medical cards than it was some years ago. Regardless of whether the Minister likes it, there has been a change in practice. I urge him to amend this by introducing a policy initiative in order to ensure vulnerable people will be protected.

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