Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

The facts speak for themselves. The Senator referred to medical cards. I remind him that a medical card is an income-related facility. The many thousands of people who have entered the workforce have gone outside the terms of eligibility. Fine Gael chided the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children for changes to the medical card scheme. However, this is a very important step. We all know that general practitioner charges have significantly increased. I appreciate that general practitioners have costs including those for staff, which have increased.

Geriatric medicine is a very important specialty. The Midland Health Board employs a geriatrician at the general hospital, who does excellent work. The medicine pertaining to health difficulties for the aged is a specialty all of its own.

For 50 years people in long-term care have paid towards the cost of shelter and maintenance. It was provided for under the 1954 regulations, amended in 1965 and again under the Health Act 1970 and the 1976 regulations. Senator Browne's party was in Government in that year. People accept it is reasonable and fair that a contribution should be made towards living costs, in other words the non-medical expenses of shelter and maintenance. It should be noted that people receive their pension from the State to meet living expenses. When people go into long-term care, these expenses are taken care of. Successive Governments have implemented this policy and provided for new charges from time to time. Governments involving my party and others have done this.

For many years I worked in a caring profession.