Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I suggest that the register of electors should be put on-line to allow people to check whether they are on the register. People often think they are registered and discover afterwards they are not. If the register were on-line, it might help resolve the problem. We should also have an on-line application facility to allow those discovering they are not on the register to apply.

At lunchtime I listened to a Senator explaining the new Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats website on GP-only medical cards. We have discovered that only 5% of people have received such cards. The Government parties have now launched a website encouraging people to apply for those medical cards, about which I have grave reservations. I regret that the Government parties omitted to mention on their website that they have broken a promise to grant an additional 200,000 medical cards in the period.