Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I repeat - I am disappointed Deputies opposite have not pointed out this - that what we are bringing in fully implements Mr. Justice Quirke's recommendations. That is the reality of the situation.

I do not accept the points made, that the Government is back-tracking or that this in some way undermines the Taoiseach's genuine expression of sympathy. Quite the opposite is the case. I suggest Deputies look at the facts as opposed to making comments that do not reflect the reality of what we are doing here because some of the comments that have been made are misleading.

On what Mr. Justice Quirke recommended, I would refer the Deputies who have made these points to page 35 of the report. The services Mr. Justice Quirke outlined there are: GP services; prescribed drugs, medicines and appliances; dental services; ophthalmic services; aural services; home support; home nursing; counselling services; and a range of other services, to include chiropody-podiatry and physiotherapy. I refer the Deputies to section 2 of the Bill in which are outlined all of the services that were recommended by Mr. Justice Quirke. We are implementing Mr. Justice Quirke's recommendations in full. That is the reality of what is being done here. It is misleading of Deputies to say that we are not. We are implementing the recommendations that were made by Mr. Justice Quirke in relation to all of these services.

In terms of the amendment I am bringing in this evening, Deputy Collins asked some questions which I will answer. Other Deputies did not comment on the fact that what we are doing, by the amendment tonight, ensures that women have the choice of a greater range of GPs. That was always the intention but I am making it even clearer by putting in this amendment tonight.

All of the services listed by Mr. Justice Quirke are set out in detail in section 2 of the Bill. That is the reality. The women are entitled to all of those services - to a GP of their choice, to change GP, to have a private GP or a GP who is in the public service. That is what is being provided in this legislation, and it is in line with what Mr. Justice Quirke recommended.

Obviously, the scheme itself was agreed by Government. The women have been accessing that service and €18 million has been paid out in relation to it.

Not everything needs a legislative base. I spoke clearly in this regard on Committee Stage, which none of the Deputies attended, and went into a lot of detail of the approach I would take to both the advocacy and the complementary therapies. I stated that the Department would move forward on those two issues.

The only area, in terms of the HAA card, where there is a difference - Mr. Justice Quirke did not recommend it and we are fully implementing his recommendations - is on complementary therapies. I already explained that the Department of Health does not cover complementary therapies on the medical card and I am not in a position to do that in this Bill. That is where it is different.

The other point is that the Bill provides that there is referral for a very small number of the services, the chiropody and physiotherapy, from a GP, and it is reasonable to include that.

All of the key medical services that the women would seek are covered. Everything that Mr. Justice Quirke recommends, in terms of medical services, is covered in the Bill. I have brought in an amendment to make it even clearer that there is that choice in relation to GPs.

I refer the Deputies to section 2. It includes: the general practitioner medical and surgical service; drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances; nursing services; home help services; dental, ophthalmic and aural services; counselling services; chiropody services; and physiotherapy services. That is the range of medical services that the women are entitled to access under the Bill. Those are the services that Mr. Justice Quirke recommended. In terms of meeting the recommendations for health services on a legislative basis, they are all being covered.

I have already discussed and gone through the other areas and suggested an approach to some services that could be helpful to the women. I have acknowledged those services could be helpful and I have suggested a way of ensuring that the women have access to those services as well, but not on a statutory basis.

Deputies should look again at page 35 of Judge Quirke's recommendations and look at the list of services in section 2 where they will see that the recommendations are covered. The answer to Deputy Niall Collins's first question is "Yes".

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