David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We oppose the three sections because we are opposed to the Bill in its entirety and totality. I do not want to speak on any section for too long as the House has much business to get through today. We made our position on the Bill quite clear on Second Stage. It is important to put on the record as we debate Committee Stage the various concerns we have about the Bill. I believe in universal health care; that people should pay tax, which they do; and that we should decide what services people should receive as a right. The Minister of State made this point in a response on the issue of universality on Second Stage.

The reality is that we are moving away from that principle. While the Minister will argue that in time, we will see free GP care, the reality is that we are going to see a private health insurance-based model for this country, rather than universal health care, which should be provided by the State and funded from general taxation, which is the model that I would prefer. Whether the Minister agrees or not, there are people losing their medical cards left, right and centre in this State. I know that when politicians raise this, they can be dismissed as opposition politicians saying that their offices are full with people calling to them about different issues, but for the issue of medical cards, I have never dealt with so many queries from people with discretionary cards who have had them either reduced to GP-only cards or withdrawn altogether. I was dealing with one lady this week who needs an injection that costs €1,200 every two weeks, and her card was taken away from her. We are trying to sort that out, but that is one example of thousands we know are happening across the State.

It is not fair to say that we are moving towards universal health care and that more people are getting medical cards, when we see the reality that many people are losing their cards. In terms of figures, more people might be getting medical cards simply because more people are out of work. More people are qualifying because of the circumstances in which they find themselves. That is why there might be more people with cards, but there are people who need the cards on medical grounds but from whom they are being withdrawn, and that is not a good thing.

This Bill will change the criteria for those aged over 70. Why is that being done at a time when the Government claims it is moving towards universal health care and towards GP care for all? Why would the Government then remove the medical for those aged over 70? Is that not moving away from the principle of universality? I can see the Minister of State shake his head, but I do not understand why we would then take medical cards away from people-----