Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Leader's statement with regard to the debate on the banking inquiry. We will be discussing the terms of reference today and it is good that anyone who wishes to contribute will be able to do so. I would advise Members that a lot of work went into this at numerous meetings of the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group I particularly want to thank the staff who were involved in all the preparatory work that was done. I am sure that people will have various views this afternoon, but I agree with the Leader and welcome the fact that if more people want to get in, it will be permitted.

I also thank the Leader for ensuring that the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, will come here today to talk about the availability of certain medicines. While it is only for 30 minutes, it is something, and I thank the Leader for arranging that. I intend to raise with the Minister for Health the ongoing issue of Fampyra, the MS drug. I am sure Members are probably sick and tired of hearing about this, but it concerns 1,500 people. I have testimonies which I will read for the Minister this afternoon from people who have had to give up work because they cannot access this drug. It makes absolutely no sense. I thank the Leader, however, for arranging for the Minister for Health to be here later today. Hopefully, following today's debate we might get some movement within the HSE and the Department. The Minister is responsible and can move this matter along.

I welcome the Government's row-back and climb-down on discretionary medical cards. This is important in a couple of respects. For two years, Fine Gael and Labour told the Opposition that we were scare-mongering and that people's medical cards were not being taken off them. We were also told there was no issue with discretionary medical cards, but the Government has now recognised that there is a major issue. People with life-long and life-threatening illnesses, including individual medical needs, have had their cards taken off them or were being refused cards. The announcement in this regard is welcome.

The Government, however, has been good at making health-related announcements but very bad at following through on them. Nearly two years ago, it announced free GP care for under sixes, yet this has still not been introduced. The Government has twice announced free GP care for the over-70s, but that is still not in operation. I would therefore like to have specific data. A clinical advisory panel is to be established but when will that actually occur? If a person applies for a discretionary medical card today, I assume his or her application will go into the old system. Will a commencement date be set for this to happen? What preparatory work has gone into this? Is it the case that this will be re-announced, like the free GP care for under sixes, just before the general election, whenever that is next year?

To clarify many of these points, the Leader should arrange for the Minister for Health to attend the House to deal specifically with the issue of discretionary medical cards and the Government's climb-down announcements. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, was unable to answer anything last night in that regard. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, can shed some light on the situation, including a starting date for the new process.