Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree that we should not have a situation where somebody with a disability can and wants to go to work, but if he or she does, he or she will go over the income threshold and thereby lose the medical card. We all appreciate how important it is, as the Deputy pointed out, particularly for people with disabilities to retain the medical card. In that regard, I will be happy to discuss it further with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. No doubt Deputy Moynihan will continue to do so as well. If there is a review and if there are specific barriers catching people in what traditionally would be viewed as a poverty trap, when going to work leaves them worse off, we need to make sure that going to work leaves them better off. Everybody, whether they have a disability or not, needs to be able to lead the fullest life possible. If there are such perverse incentives, we should certainly undertake a review.

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