Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It has been one year since the tragic death of Private Seán Rooney, a member of the 27 Infantry Battalion in Dundalk. Today our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

There seem to be more and more problems for cancer patients applying for a discretionary medical card. A discretionary medical card gives you the same services as a means-tested medical card, however, a few of my constituents have not qualified for a medical card based on the means test. If someone is self-employed, young, without private health insurance, ineligible for a medical card or does not have savings, he or she is left in the very vulnerable position of being unable to manage basic expenses such as heating and travel to hospital for treatment. We are hearing from an increasing number of these people. It is only right that a discretionary medical card be granted to people who are over the financial means test but would suffer "undue hardship". However, the issue is that the discretionary medical card application process is the same as that for a means-tested medical card whereby you also must provide information about your family's medical expenses.

My office regularly sees constituents coming in with long-term illnesses who are struggling to get the services or medicines they need. There are people coming to me whose lives have changed due to a cancer diagnosis and are concerned that they may find themselves out of work due to the need for treatment. Many of these people are faced with a financial burden they cannot afford. At a time of utmost need, I have a constituent who is a cancer patient with very ill health who knows they are over the means test yet is being sent around the houses to gather private pension information for a family member who has no interest in applying for a medical card.

Why are we making it significantly more difficult for cancer patients to be awarded discretionary medical cards on the grounds that their diagnosis causes undue financial hardship? This is not only causing undue stress for the person but is doubling the work of the medical card approval section. Where is the efficiency? It is ten years since the HSE looked at medical card eligibility on medical grounds and how effectively the system of assessment for a discretionary medical card is working. Will the Taoiseach consider a review of the medical card eligibility and assessment process, especially for those with a medical condition? It is crucial that we review the recommendations from 2014 report of the expert panel on medical need for medical card eligibility to see if those recommendations have been implemented and if they are working and are fit for purpose in 2023 and 2024.

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