Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I too wish our new Minister well in his role. There are many challenges there and healthcare is so important to all of us. It does not matter whether a person has private health insurance, a medical card or whatever, everybody is entitled to the same treatment. We have to go forward like that, all working together. I pay tribute to the healthcare front-line workers and to everyone who worked so hard over the past months. It has been very hard. We should appreciate everyone who worked so hard.

With regard to the schools vaccination programme and the students who would ordinarily receive their vaccines but due to Covid-19 restrictions have not, will these students receive all their vaccines this year? Will they be accommodated in the autumn roll-out of vaccinations countrywide? Will dental patients on medical cards be able to access the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, to have pressing procedures undertaken? This is one of the biggest issues given the number of telephone calls I have had on it. Perhaps the Minister will provide clarification on this in writing, because it is important to get it sorted so everybody can get his or her dental treatment. Does the Minister know the waiting list times in the HSE schools programme for children under 16 years of age awaiting approved braces, or HSE dental procedures? Is there a breakdown of procedures available? Does the Minister know if there is a timeline for these procedures to take place, given the Covid-19 restrictions? I know the Minister will come back to me with these details.

I am aware of another serious issue that needs to be addressed, and on which I have had several telephone calls over the past months. If a medical card holder is charged for blood tests, can he or she be refunded by the HSE? People from Carlow town, Tullow, Bagenalstown and all over the constituency have telephoned me about this. Some of them are being charged for their blood tests even though they are medical card holders. Can one get a refund? Is there a system where the money can be claimed back from the HSE? There has been so much confusion over this. I have been on to the HSE but I find that I need to get the matter clarified. Can one actually receive a refund? If a person holds a medical card then he or she should not be charged for getting bloods done.

People have come to my office and told me that they could not afford to have blood tests done even though they had medical cards. Can we have clarification and will the Minister revert?

I wish him well. There are many challenges. He might be able to revert with answers now, given that we have a few minutes left.

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