Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The category is that of people who live on their own and have an income of more than €26,000 per annum and married couples whose income exceeds €47,000. However, they will still get a GP card. It is important to note that where a person pays more than €144 per month for medication the cost is borne by the State.

Senator David Cullinane gave the impression that the Government is taking medical cards from everybody. Since we came to Government, an extra 254,000 medical cards or GP-only cards have been issued. As of June 2013, we had gone from more than 1,730,000 medical cards on 1 January 2011 to more than 2,100,000 medical cards or GP-only cards. If the Senator thinks the Government is being mean and divisive in the way it has managed the issue, I am not sure what we are getting wrong, given the number of additional cards that have been given out. We ensured the criteria were not substantially altered. However, in this case the criteria are being altered slightly. We are talking about a group of people who have a substantial income and for whom we are making this adjustment in order that we can cater for those who have far less income. Recently I spoke to a person in a rural area who has a non-contributory pension of €216 per week. He does not have a bus service or many other facilities. That is the type of person we need to look after and ensure they are provided with a level of care, whether through social welfare or medical care. That person has a total income of about €11,000 per year. It is difficult for him to survive on that income, given that he does not have access to public transport and other services.

I am sorry to raise this issue, but I have on my desk notification of a medical card review for a 91-year-old lady. I am astonished at what is being sought from her. She is a lady who has not sought anything from the State, including a pension. She and her made sure there was adequate provision for her older years. Her medical card has been withdrawn. The first she heard of the card being withdrawn was when we went to her pharmacy for a prescription and she was asked for €87. If I or the Minister of State were told the cost of a prescription was €87 that would be a shock, but to tell that to a 91-year-old lady is a little different. I have received a letter from the medical card unit seeking a whole series of documents from her, even though she submitted audited accounts, certified by an accountant, including the document from the Revenue Commissioners which assessed her income tax. It is seeking the rent books of properties from which she has rental income and copies of share certificates. She receives a small pension from the US. It also seeks a letter from the Social Security Administration in the US, even though she has already provided a letter from the US embassy setting out exactly what she is earning. To ask a 91-year-old lady for such documentation is going a bit too far. I am sorry for raising the issue but I am very cross about it. She has given all the information, yet more is being sought even though all the necessary documentation has been submitted, including documentation accepted by the Revenue Commissioners. That is wrong. It is one of the reasons so many people are complaining about this issue. I ask for a more diplomatic approach when assessing people over the age of 70.

I support the Bill because there is a need to look after people on lower income levels. That is what the Government has done on coming to office. While it would be better if we did not have to introduce the measure, we have to be careful about how we manage the finances to ensure those at the lower end are not left out of the loop. I think this is the best way of managing the health services and managing people's entitlement to medical cards.