Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of the State to the House and I thank Senator Conway for sharing time on this very important matter.The Minister of State will no doubt be aware of the delays in these income limits, as has been outlined by Senator Conway. We are now just three weeks away from budget 2021 and the Government has not yet delivered on these simple budget commitments from last year. The budget commitments meant income limits for medical cards should have increased by €50 per week to €550 for a single person and to €1,050 for a couple by July.

It is unacceptable that up to 56,000 elderly people are waiting on medical cards due to the Government failing to relax the income limits it promised. As Senator Conway asked, the Minister of State might let us know when these new limits will be brought in.

I received assurances in this House from the previous Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, that the medical card renewals would be delayed and medical cards would be extended to 2021 because, as it was said, we are all in this pandemic together. Unfortunately, my experience is the opposite. My office deals with a large number of renewals each week. Will the Minister of State confirm why we asked medical card holders to renew their cards during this pandemic? Should we not allow those with medical cards the comfort blanket having a card gives to so many during these unprecedented times?

I had the pleasure yesterday to speak to Mr. John Wall. I am sure The Minister of State is fully aware of his campaign to extend medical cards to terminally ill patients. On his behalf and on behalf of those he campaigns for, what is the update on the provision of cards for those who are terminally ill at this time? The campaign seeks to extend these cards by 12 months for those at this stage of their life to take away the worry of filling in another form or worrying their family will be left with large medical bills. I am informed that extending this card by another year would have little financial consequences to the State. To those who are seeking them, however, it would be that comfort blanket which, I am sure, the Minister of State will agree is the least they deserve at this difficult time.