Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I join Senator Prendergast in welcoming former Senator, Kathleen O'Meara and her colleagues from the Irish Cancer Society to the House. On the day that is in it, I wish all such organisations well in promoting awareness of the dangers of smoking. This day six years ago, I kicked a 40 a day habit, not least because of the advice and encouragement of Kathleen O'Meara, who herself is a former smoker. It is very helpful for smokers to meet people who share their experience to help them give up smoking.

The HSE intends to centralise all applications for medical cards to Dublin by the end of April. There has been no consultation with medical professionals, elected representatives, trade unions or local area health offices on this. We know from our experience with the decentralisation of the over-70s applications since December 2008, the system clearly does not work. A case I was made aware of concerns an applicant from Skibbereen for an over-70s card, who up until the decision to centralise the decision making process to Finglas would have had to go to his local area health office where his application would have been processed within two weeks. He applied for his card in July 2009, but he still has not got a reply. Clearly, the system does not work. Will the Leader arrange to bring the Minister to the House so we can hammer out the issues? Elected public representatives are picking up information that the system does not work. The centralisation of all applications is an area of Government policy that will add to bureaucracy and frustrate ordinary decent people.