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

That is not acceptable. If a patient has a medical card or GP visit card, he or she should be entitled to a free blood test. I compliment doctors. I know how hard they have worked, particularly in the past year with Covid. It has been very difficult for everyone. Even so, vulnerable, often elderly, people who have medical cards have approached me on the matter. When someone has a medical card or a GP visit card, he or she should automatically be entitled to a free blood test. I do not accept the Minister of State's response. It is not the right answer and I ask him to reconsider it. We need to address the issue. I have had several phone calls about it. It is very unfair for people who have to write to the HSE and explain why they had a blood test. It is not acceptable. I urge the Minister of State to seek that all medical card and GP visit card holders will be allowed to get a free blood test.

I wish to raise also the issue of medical cards in respect of dental treatment. Covid has been so hard on everyone. This year has been very difficult. I know how hard our front-line workers and doctors have worked, but I had phone calls this week but from two people who have medical cards. They were both told by dental clinics that they would not accept medical cards. Again, this is unacceptable and we need to examine it. What can we do to sort this out? What can I do to work out the issue for those people who came to me? We need to do something. I do not know how many dentists are refusing medical cards but I have received phone calls to say that some are. The same is true of some doctors. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider this and to revert to me with some sort of answer and solution. We cannot have this going on. It is unacceptable.

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