Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I join Senator Hayes in his call for an early debate after the summer recess on insurance and I too read with interest the leak of the report this morning. We have a meeting today to discuss the matter and the report will be officially launched on Friday.

As I have said before, I hope that during the summer recess the Minister for Finance might provide significant increases in the income threshold limits for medical card eligibility. He has been urged to so by the Minister for Health and Children with whom he will shortly have a meeting on the matter. Medical practitioners throughout the country and the Irish Medical Organisation believe strongly that too many people are on the margins and are not properly benefiting from the health system. As politicians, we are aware of how many people have lost their medical cards. I make this plea which I hope will be a unanimous one from the House.