Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The word "cancer" puts fear into every household in the country. It changes peoples' lives. I guarantee the Tánaiste that not one person in this House does not have examples similar to those I will give him today. The bottom line is that if you are not working, you are not earning. I had a self-employed man come into my office this week whose wife was diagnosed with cancer. He is self-employed and he has to start working. The wife is in hospital getting treatment. I refer to the simple things of getting children up in the morning, taking them to school and cooking their meals. They are trying to remain a normal family.

It has been ten years since this system has been looked at. There is no better man than the Tánaiste, a former Minister for Health, to understand this situation. We can all talk about money being spent and everything else, but there is a lot of hardship and a lot of suffering among normal families at the moment, and it is not fair. When you see a husband come into your constituency office with his three children and his wife in hospital, it is wrong. When they have to chase around family members looking to fill in forms and everything else, it is absolutely dreadful. The last thing they want to be worrying about is who will pay the bills. Just because you are working today and may be earning good money does not mean that something will not happen that will stop you working and earning.

The doors opened by the medical card are unbelievable. It is ten years since this was looked into. I am asking the Tánaiste to give us a commitment today that he will try to help ease the hardship of these families who are suffering. One of them has a cancer condition.

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