David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----but I will outline to the Minister the important issues for people outside this House. They are worried about these issues. They are the people bearing the brunt of losing their medical cards. More people have medical cards because people have lost their jobs and are in low-paid job; that is the reason. The Minister will have to accept the reality that people have lost their discretionary medical cards because of a change in policy by the Government.

The Minister's vision for health care in terms of the private health insurance market has been a complete failure. It will not work and the Minister has not been able to deliver it. I cannot let this opportunity go when the Minister is in the Chamber without reminding him of what is happening in my city of Waterford where we do not have proper dermatology services. How can he stand over that as Minister for Health? That region, as the Minister well knows, has very high levels of cancer. Consultants have left and have not been replaced and we are without dermatology services, which is completely unacceptable.