Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will certainly consider what the Senators have said. As have other colleagues, they have taken a close interest in the issue. Members will recall the programme for Government included a plan to extend general practitioner visiting cards to the population that was to start with people with long-term illnesses and was then to move on to those who needed high technology drugs. I should note that when considering this plan earlier this year, the Government ran into huge legal obstacles regarding the definition of illnesses. I acknowledge that sounds strange and one might ask how it could be difficult to define an illness, but I assure Members it is not as straightforward as it sounds to draft primary legislation defining a particular illness, even a long-term illness, and then the statutory regulations to be drawn up by a Minister providing diagnostic guidance as to when a person is to be deemed to have a particular illness or otherwise. While I do not try to put unnecessary obstacles in the way of the Senator's proposals, the matter is not so straightforward. While there may be a case for doing this, it would change completely the scheme of the basic legislation, which is to help people on the basis of a problem with their means rather than a particular illness. However, I understand the concern expressed by the Senators. I know where they are coming from and have thought a lot about this issue because, obviously, it is a live one in many people's minds.