Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will check with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and come back to Deputy Kenny directly. It is my understanding that people who have a terminal illness can now qualify for a discretionary medical card, but there is an understandable reluctance to prescribe certain illnesses that qualify for a medical card and others that do not. This is for lots of reasons that are explained in the report, including that it would potentially be very unfair. Certainly, one aspect we must examine at budget time is increasing the income thresholds. These have not gone up since, I believe, 2005, which is a very long time ago. It would be expensive to do but it would be the right thing to do. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to come back to the Deputy directly.

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