John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fair play to Commissioner Hogan, indeed, and to others - well pointed out, Deputy Kelleher. I myself had some slight hand in it being built, if I could be so presumptuous as to suggest it.

For the past number of years and to this day, the emergency department in St. Luke's in Kilkenny was in what was originally designed as the washing-up area of the original hospital that was built in the 1950s. Thankfully, the new emergency department is well on its way to completion and I am glad the service plan includes that.

I too welcome the fact the BreastCheck service is to be extended to women up to the age of 69 following a national campaign in that regard. I am glad the Minister has been able to accede to that request.

Another important measure in this plan relates to the funding the HSE has included for drugs for those who suffer from hepatitis C, a particularly debilitating illness for which there is now a cure. Some €30 million is being set aside under this service plan to provide people who heretofore would have been in a very difficult situation with some hope that their medical condition can be improved dramatically.

I also want to welcome the fact €25 million has been included in the service plan for the additional provision of up to 300 places under the fair deal scheme and 115 short-stay beds. It has been apparent in recent months in particular that a bottleneck has emerged in this area and many people are waiting too long for assessment and admission to the fair deal scheme. I welcome the fact additional funding has been provided for that in the service plan.

I join with Deputy Twomey in regard to the Minister's announcements on medical cards. There is no doubt that, in the past 12 months, this has probably been the most contentious issue in the health area. The committee was charged by the previous Minister to come up with recommendations and it came back and suggested it would find it impossible to draw up a list of illnesses which would automatically qualify people for medical cards, and that the means-tested system would have to be included and adapted. The Minister has chosen to act quickly on that, which I welcome. In fact, the Minister has been a breath of fresh air in many respects in his few months in the Department of Health. It is a difficult Department but, in particular with regard to medical cards, which has been a protracted and difficult political issue but which is obviously and more importantly a difficult issue for families and individuals across the country, he has been willing to look at a practical solution for people in difficulties.

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