Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Minister of State is missing the point. Someone went to the trouble of writing down those phrases. He or she did not just write "interest income". Rather, he or she referred to income from a portion of a person's savings or similar investments. What does this provision cover? One could not consider the sale of a house, as outlined in my example, as savings or a similar investment.

I want to be clear. It boils down to a choice between keeping money under the mattress at home and putting it into a bank. If the latter, a person could be ruled out of getting a medical card. If the former, a person could qualify for a medical card. We are discussing income.

I am trying to work out why the phrase "savings or similar investments" was included. For example, would a superannuation lump sum be taken into consideration? It could amount to €150,000. If a person's house sold for €1 million, would the interest on the amount in excess of €36,000 or €72,000 be counted or could alternative arrangements with his or her bank be made? It is confusing.