Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I believe the Minister for Health is scheduled to come into the House on 4 November next and I ask that he pays particular attention to the issue of medical cards for the over-70s and discretionary medical cards. I wish to bring to the attention of the House that between September 2013 and September 2014, 71,251 medical cards were removed. Of these, over 17,543 were over-70s medical cards. I am still receiving complaints, queries and requests for assistance from people with long-term illnesses and people over 70 who are still losing their medical cards. This issue has not gone away and I would like the Minister to address that specific issue in a meaningful way during the forthcoming general debate on health.

I listened with great dismay and disgust this morning to the Sinn Féin Deputy, Peadar Tóibín, on "Morning Ireland" and on a programme on Newstalk. I am absolutely disgusted at the manner in which his party is dealing with these very serious allegations. We have had our issues with institutional child sexual abuse both in the churches and State institutions. A light was shone on that and rightly so. I am at a loss to understand where Sinn Féin is at on this. The public is entitled to know. It is unfortunate that Sinn Féin representatives are not in the Chamber this morning ---