There is no justification for increasing the income limit by €6 or 4.5% as the Government did. It is a sham. The paltry increase does not carry weight. It reflects the need for budgetary restrictions in health care spending. Given the spiralling costs in society, not least the current inflation rate of 5.1%, and the fact that wage increases have not kept pace with inflation, the reality for many families is that medical treatment has become a game of chance. Families just hope to get by without having to avail of necessary medical treatment or treatment in accident and emergency departments.