Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank him. I know his absolute commitment to this matter. I have three points and four questions for the Minister. First, we know the Bill is to provide for an automatic entitlement to a medical card for those in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance. The Minister also intends to reduce the prescription charges for medical card holders aged 70 years and over, and their dependants. That is clearly the objective of the Bill.

I received some correspondence and a copy of a press release on budget 2017 issued on 11 October 2016 by the spokesperson for Age Action. The commentary was as follows, namely, that prescription charges had increased more than 500% since they were introduced and that older people are more likely to have multiple prescriptions so were particularly affected by a tax that targets the poor and the sick. They are the words of Age Action, not mine. Age Action welcomed the reduction in the prescription charges which the Bill will bring about, but it cautioned that not all older medical card holders would benefit equally from the cuts. It concluded by saying that the reduction in the cap on the "sick tax", as it described it, announced today was good news and Age Action hopes it is a step in the right direction to its abolition. It cautioned that lone pensioners would not benefit greatly as they are unlikely to be paying more than €20. I will circulate the views of Age Action in case the Minister is not familiar with them.

I wish to focus on four questions. The first is what will happen to a recipient of the domiciliary care allowance, DCA, medical card once he or she turns 16 years of age. I would like the Minister to tell us here. I have my own views but I wish to hear what the Minister has to say.

The second question is what bearing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child have on the Bill. I know the Minister and his officials have considered the issue. I looked at some correspondence in the Library today on the matter.

The third question is what entitlements, if any, do recipients of the DCA have in relation to medical cards.

The fourth question is what plans there are to continue to reduce or remove prescription fees for medical card holders over 70 years, or to reduce or remove prescription charges for medical card holders under 70 and their dependants. I accept the Minister referred to some of those issues in his concluding remarks. Furthermore, a number of organisations which represent older people, such as Age Action, welcome the reduction in prescription fees provided for in the Bill but have made a further call for the complete abolition of prescription charges for all those over 70 years. I would like the Minister to give a detailed response.