James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise today an issue that is on everybody's mind, namely, the budget.In particular, I want to raise the issue of prescription charges that were introduced in 2011 when the country was in a financial meltdown. The initiative raised €27 million in the first year, the figure rose to €117 million in the past two years and during the first six months of this year it has raised €54 million.

There has been a huge increase in the health budget in the past two years, for which I compliment the Government. It is now time to abolish prescription charges. The Irish Cancer Society has already made a statement that it believes the charges are no longer necessary from a financial point of view, with which I agree. The society has also stated that many people with cancer forego the essentials of daily living in order to pay the prescription charge, which interferes with their well-being and ability to recover.

Ample research has also been compiled by the British Medical Association, the Coughlan Foundation and the World Health Organization, WHO. They have all carried out independent research that show charges cause people to not take their medicines and act as a barrier to doing so. In fact, the organisations have made the bald statement that these charges cause as much as a reduction in necessary care as they do any reduction in unnecessary care. I believe that the time has come for us to remove the charges.

I call on the Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance to abolish prescription charges in this year's budget. If that is not possible I would like to at least see the process started by abolishing the charge for people over 65 years and those with chronic illnesses. These are the very people who are the most vulnerable in our society. They are the very people who need to take their medicines. They are also the very people that if they do not take their medicines will fall ill, end up in hospital and cost the State an awful lot more money.

The financial crisis is over. I know we need to be prudent but this is an area that needs to be addressed, and addressed urgently. We must send a strong signal to the many people who approach the last quarter of their lives that the sacrifices that they made to keep this country on its feet will be acknowledged now by giving them more affordable health care.