John Kelly (Labour)

I support Senator Moloney's criticisms of how the PCRS is handling medical card applications. We raised the matter in the House on numerous occasions and the Minister has intervened. While he got assurances from the PCRS that everything would run smoothly in the future, that is not the evidence on the ground. I often help people complete applications for medical cards and I know that if they are not fully correct when they are submitted, there will be a problem. Therefore I ensure they are completed fully correct. Even though I ensure that every document in the file is stapled together and sent off in one envelope, the applicants are getting calls a week later telling them that something is missing, when I know that is not the case. That forces me and other Oireachtas Members involved to photocopy complete files in order to prove that the information is with the file as submitted. Either somebody is sabotaging files or there is gross incompetence in the way the PCRS does its business.

I call on the Leader to follow up on a recommendation made by a fellow Senator that a delegation from this House should go to the PCRS offices to see how it does its business. We need to understand what is going wrong. I know another Oireachtas committee is planning to do that and I would like to be part of that if the Leader could allow it to happen. I know Senator Moloney would also like to do likewise.