Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On a daily basis in recent weeks, the television, radio, newspapers and Internet have been saturated with countless cases where medical cards have either been withdrawn or made almost impossible to obtain for the most seriously ill children. Every Deputy in this House has probably been lobbied or made aware of a number of such cases in his or her constituency. We are approached daily with stories of difficulty, hardship and constituents who are out of their mind with worry. They call seeking advice on appeals or ways to get back their medical card.

The status quodoes not point to a system that needs tweaking or a new set of directives. In reality, to borrow a phrase from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, the HSE medical card system is not fit for purpose. It does not serve well at all the people in need of its support. In fact, sick people and their families are viewed as a burden or a thorn in the side of the health service. Nowhere is that more apparent and scandalous than in relation to children. It is bad enough that through misspending, improper planning or preparation, a lack of political and the inaction of successive Governments, sick children in this country continue to endure decades waiting for a proper and desperately needed new children's hospital. Now it seems that those most in need of the medical services of the State are being sidelined by Government policy as the system deliberately tries to rule them out rather than welcome them in.

Could someone explain why a constituent of mine should have her medical card withdrawn for her eight year old with cancer in favour of an unconditional medical card for a healthy five year old next door? Where is the logic or fairness in such a decision? Could anyone explain the situation to the family or the child? Families faced with a seriously ill child do not have the time or energy to do anything else but concentrate on coping and dealing with the illness that has befallen their child. Do those involved in the health system not realise that? The last thing such families need at such an immensely difficult time is to have to negotiate with a difficult, time-consuming and grossly unfair system to secure full eligibility to health care for their child.

In the past 44 years since the 1970 Health Act, no significant campaign has been mounted to change what is a problematic and archaic system. I suspect this is because families faced with a seriously ill child, while badly served by the system, can do nothing more than put all their energy and time into the care of their children and home. It is an understatement to suggest that many have remained quiet, unheard, anonymous and voiceless. That is understandable. However, this week I am aware of a new campaign by parents to effect change on the outdated and crude Act that governs medical cards. I can only imagine that this is because the situation has become critical for so many families that they are left with no other option.

Our Children's Health campaign is a sincere effort by parents that aims to make an addendum to the 1970 Health Act that will grant an automatic medical card to any child diagnosed with a life-threatening or serious illness or a congenital condition for the duration of their treatment and beyond. That would remove any possibility of mistakes or, as one Member said, sinister political party cards and unjust discretion on the part of the HSE when granting medical cards. It is only right that families with seriously ill children would be afforded every support by the State without condition, prejudice or arbitrary complicated and humiliating means testing. I and my party have great sympathy for the parents and their children and will listen and support their just cause.

It is not good enough for the Government to continue to say it will look at the situation and issue further guidelines and instructions to HSE staff, or indeed ask them to be friendlier or more approachable in their dealings with hard cases. It is time for rights-based policy and legal change in this area in order that we can say that as a society we will protect our most vulnerable citizens and put children first, especially children and their families, who through no fault of their own have to endure devastating hardship, not because of means but due to life-threatening or life-limiting illness.

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