Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While I empathise with what Senator Colm Burke is saying, it is important to note that a person in receipt of a qualifying payment receives the pass on the basis of the primary payment and not on the basis of his or her underlying medical condition. If the particular person in this specific case has a serious problem going to the social welfare office, that might be dealt with on its own. At the moment, the important thing to note is that receipt of the pass is based on one's primary payment, not on the medical evidence. I thank the Cathaoirleach.