John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I second Senator Landy's proposal that we ask the Minister for Social Protection to attend the House and update Members on the final detail of the JobsPlus scheme because it can be highly beneficial to employers. I believe it can be a great success but we all need to know a little more about the final details.

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to the House for a debate on certain health matters because there is much happening behind the scenes without any consultation, and people are being deprived of their rightful entitlements as a result. In recent weeks I have become aware of changes to medical card guidelines and assessments without any consultation. I have sought to raise that issue on the Adjournment tomorrow and I hope the Cathaoirleach might oblige me on that. Under the 1970 Health Act, someone with a medical card is entitled to a wide range of health services free of charge but that is no longer the case. I know an elderly man who has a medical card. He is going into hospital for a hip operation in the coming weeks. He has been told already that he will have to spend five days in hospital after the operation following which he must find a nursing home bed for the next five or six weeks but he cannot afford that. It will cost him between €5,000 and €6,000. He cannot benefit from the fair deal scheme. There is no help with the cost involved. That is not giving a medical card holder a free health service.

These issues need to be debated and the Minister for Health should attend the House and answer these questions. It is all very well for people who can afford that type of service but those who can afford it will not have a medical card. The people who have medical cards are not getting what they are entitled to under the 1970 Health Act. I call on the Leader to invite the Minister to attend the House to debate these issues.