Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. From speaking with many people on the ground since the initiative's announcement, it seems to be a welcome step, albeit a small one but in the right direction for those aged under six years or over 70. The majority see it for what it is attempting to do, particularly as regards regular checks for diabetes and asthma. It is viewed as progressive and positive. It is to the eternal credit of the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, that it seems to be getting over the line. The concerns expressed by some Opposition spokespersons were related to how it had taken too long to reach this point. We wish it had happened earlier, but this is a positive step in providing for universal health care. One need only put oneself in the mind of a young parent whose child has a sickness that he or she does not understand. One would hate to think he or she would fear going to a general practitioner, GP, because the cost was prohibitive. This initiative will help in that regard and I welcome it as a step forward.

I do not know whether some members of the Opposition will support the Bill, but their objections gave the impression that doctors' surgeries would be filled with healthy and wealthy kids and that those who needed this initiative would not benefit from it. That is scaremongering of the worst kind. Why anyone would bring to a doctor a child who did not need to be there is beyond me.

There is an issue in accident and emergency departments, in that some people who attend might not need to do so. While the Bill will not solve that problem, it will help in some way.

I wish to address a point raised by Deputy Denis Naughten. In this debate there has been little conversation about the decision in respect of those aged under six years or over 70. Deputies have instead discussed everything else about the health service. They went off topic and everyone got to vent for five or ten minutes; the Minister will excuse me, therefore, if I do a little of the same.

There is still an issue with medical cards. If I had my way, I would dismantle the whole system because it is not fit for purpose. The first question I would then be asked would be what I would do differently, but that is the problem - I do not have an answer. This is why the Minister is where he is and I am where I am. We only get to deal with the hardship cases. Like Deputy Denis Naughten, some people whose cases I have encountered have been tortured and put through the wringer when asking the State for a medical card or assistance for the first time. Some people treat a medical card as if it was another card for their wallets and something to which they are entitled, but others who really need it cannot get one. Worse still, they need it within a certain timeframe, for example, cancer sufferers, but they cannot access one for 12, 15 or 18 months. Efforts have been made to resolve this issue, but we have a long way to go.

I will cite one or two examples. A constituent of mine who is in his late 80s only has an income of €4,000 per annum from renting farm land. He has never applied for a pension and is proud of having saved the State so much money for 20 years, but he was continually refused a medical card because his income had not been assessed for social welfare purposes. There was no assessment because he was adamant that he would not apply for a pension for the remainder of his life. He was hospitalised a number of times last year and living in considerable fear of large hospital bills. He was unwilling to visit a doctor because of the costs involved and, as such, was probably not on the correct medication to reflect his changing circumstances. Thankfully, he was granted a medical card in the past month after 15 months of effort. This individual had saved the State money for a considerable period only to find that he could not apply to one arm of the State for necessary assistance because another arm knew nothing about him.

The Bill is a welcome first step on the long road towards universal health care. Instead of knocking what is a positive start, perhaps the Opposition might explain how it would do things better or what the next step should be. All I am hearing is Deputies going on about issues in the health system about which we all know and in respect of which we will need assistance. Some of the proposals from the Deputies opposite have not been costed. It is pie in the sky stuff. Now is the time to admit that the Government has made a positive first step and support the initiative. If Opposition Deputies can make it better, please do. If they have alternatives or opinions, let us hear them. All I am hearing is Deputies giving out for the sake of it.

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