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

I asked this before and the Taoiseach stated he would come back to me. He was not quite sure how it ended up in the programme for Government but it is there and it is a promise to legislate.

When can we expect universal primary care legislation? With the discretionary medical card decision, there was a promise, even as late as today, that the 1970 health care legislation would be an issue. I do not agree with the Taoiseach's analysis as discretionary medical cards were being given out for 30 or 40 years anyway. Be that as it may, we have been told this only relates to undue hardship and legislation would be required to deal with medical issues in the granting of discretionary medical cards. That was promised but it was not promised in today's statement. Will the Taoiseach provide an update on the commitment to legislate for people having access to medical cards on the basis of medical hardship?

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