David Norris (Independent)

I will not say anything about the economy now as I will take a slot in this afternoon's debate and I do not want to waste time, which is short. I am in the process of putting a motion on the Order Paper and I thought it might have been on today. It concerns a really shocking development. I was staggered when I heard the HSE proposes to impose a 50 cent prescription charge on all medications. It specifically indicated the terminally ill and the homeless.

This is the most disgraceful measure I can ever remember from a public authority. It is also dangerous for the health of the people involved and it oppresses the marginalised and vulnerable. On top of this, it exposes the public to health risks through the potential spreading of infection. It is problematic to get patients who are mentally ill, such as those with schizophrenia and other difficulties, to come to clinics to take medicine anyway but this constitutes the erection of another dangerous barrier. It is shameful and I call on the House to condemn it outright.

I regret the current position in the House with regard to legislation. I will consider the positives. My colleague, Senator O'Toole, underestimated the contribution of the Independents and private Members from all sides of the House. There are no fewer than 16 Bills from private Members as opposed to the three which the Government has managed to squeeze from the bureaucracy. Every Member in the Independent group has presented significant legislation in the past year, which is an important and interesting point.

I support Senator Quinn and I was not aware that the taxi regulator had refused to turn up. The taxi regulator is not a popular person with the taxi industry. There has been an unregulated deregulation in the form of a big bang. Over the weekend, another young taxi man in Dublin took his own life. There is a taxi man outside Leinster House on hunger strike as we speak in this Chamber. Luckily, the taxi organisation has put its members in touch with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service as they cannot afford to go the dentist. They are working 17 or 18 hours a week; it is a dangerous issue which must be discussed.