Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, to the House and thank him for coming in. I know of his special interest in people with disabilities. I will go backwards to come forwards and refer to the over 70s prescription charges which came into effect on 1 April. It has been a great success story. I met recently with the families of young adults with disabilities, and I will give a particular example of a family I was speaking to. Their young son is blind and has severe disabilities connected with it. He has to live in a specialised care home because of the severity of his difficulties. He gets the blind pension of €188 a week. He pays approximately €90 in rent, and once his other commitments are deducted, he finds it hard to meet the €25 a month limit for his prescription charges. A number of families raised the fact that the over 70s reduction of 50 cent has made a huge difference to people over 70. Could it be looked at for people with severe disabilities? That slight reduction would help to alleviate the difficulties around the payout they have to make every month. The young man who I am referring to is restricted in many of the things he can do, but he likes to go to the gym. He has to pay his gym membership out of that €188 a week he receives. By the time all the payments are made he is dependent on his family for other payments and commitments. It is time that we started looking at small things which would help to make a difference to the lives of people, especially those with difficulties and disabilities.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank Senator Maria Byrne for raising this very important issue. As the Senator said, I am well aware of the costs to many families, particularly families with children and young adults with disabilities. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris.

This Government is committed in A Programme for Partnership Government to reducing the costs of medicines for all our citizens. This has already been addressed through a range of measures, including significant price reductions and the greater use of reference pricing and generic substitution. The prescription charge for medical card holders was introduced in 2010. The purpose of the charge was to address rising costs in the medical card scheme. I do not need to remind Senators of the extraordinary financial pressures we faced at that particular time, including the need to control health costs.The current charge of €2.50 per item with a monthly cap of €25 per family applies to all medical card patients, unless they are exempted. Specific patient groups may be exempted, where not to charge that group is just and equitable, having regard to defined criteria. To date, there are exemptions for children in State care, methadone patients, asylum seekers in direct provision and refugees in emergency reception and accommodation centres.

With regard to varying the charge for specific groups, until this year the same charge applied to all non-exempted medical card patients. However, in March the Government reduced the charge for medical card holders aged 70 and over to €2 per item, with a monthly cap of €20 per card holder and dependants. Over 70s medical card holders use on average more than three and a half times more prescription items than other medical card holders. As their medical needs and their financial burden are greater than most medical card holders, directing the resources available in 2017 in this way is also just, equitable and in line with Government policy to reduce the cost of medicines to patients within, of course, the resources available.

Some 330,000 medical card holders, including many people with disabilities, benefit from this measure. A total of €10 million has been provided for this measure in 2017 and the full year cost is expected to be €12 million. The reduction in the charge for over 70s required primary legislation. Any variation in the charge for another group would also require legislation and would have to consider, among other things, the medical needs of and the financial burden on the specific group of people and the need to control health spending. In other words, the needs of any particular group with medical cards would have to be considered against those of other medical card holders, as well as overall health resources. This Government will continue to address its commitment to reduce the cost of medicines. As part of this commitment, the Minister will consider any future changes to the prescription charge in the context of the implementation of that commitment, the health and financial implications for any, for all or for particular patients and the best use of available health funding.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. While I understand exactly what he is saying - I believe he is saying that it will be considered down the line - one group that needs to be looked at is young adults who have to live in care and are on the minimum amount of money they can receive. There are many outgoings and a burden is placed on the family. I implore the Minister of State to look at these vulnerable young adults who have a disability and are on a very limited income and ask him to ensure that the prescription charges for them are reduced in the next round.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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When the Senator talks about the young adult in specialised care who is also blind, of course I understand the considerable pressure that he is under to live on €188 per week and within the €25 limit per month. I will personally push this issue with the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris. As I said in the response, it will be considered. I believe it is an urgent and genuine issue. We have to look seriously at the cost of medicines, particularly for vulnerable people in society. That is something I will raise with the Minister. If the Senator wants to send me specific details of that case, I will see what I can do on that as well.