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12/05/2014
Sinn Féin Launch Dail Motion Over Cuts To Medical Cards
A motion for debate has been published by Sinn Féin to challenge the government and heath minister James Reilly over cuts to discretionary medical cards.
Announcing the motion to be taken in the party’s Private Members time, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said: "There has been a continuing dramatic fall in the number of persons granted or retaining discretionary medical cards. The Minister for Health and the Government have failed to recognise the reality of this reduction and the hardship it is causing.
"Last week there was a last-minute pre-election acknowledgement by the Minister for Health, prompted by a meeting of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, that a problem exists. The Minister stated that he has asked Fine Gael TDs to give him a list of 'hard cases' and he floated the vague notion of a ‘third tier’ of services.
"We are calling on the Government to reverse the cuts to discretionary medical cards imposed in the HSE 2014 Service Plan. They should ensure that the HSE treats with due respect and compassion all applicants for medical cards, taking fully into account not only incomes but the burdens imposed by medical conditions, illnesses and disabilities;
"The Minister should consult with all Oireachtas members, not just his own party, on the effects of the cuts on citizens.
"We are calling for the Government, in extending free GP care to all, to do so on a programmed, timetabled and transparent basis and in such a way that no-one entitled to a full medical card under the current rules will lose any of the services provided under the card in the context of a free-GP-care-for-all system."
(MH/IT)
Announcing the motion to be taken in the party’s Private Members time, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said: "There has been a continuing dramatic fall in the number of persons granted or retaining discretionary medical cards. The Minister for Health and the Government have failed to recognise the reality of this reduction and the hardship it is causing.
"Last week there was a last-minute pre-election acknowledgement by the Minister for Health, prompted by a meeting of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, that a problem exists. The Minister stated that he has asked Fine Gael TDs to give him a list of 'hard cases' and he floated the vague notion of a ‘third tier’ of services.
"We are calling on the Government to reverse the cuts to discretionary medical cards imposed in the HSE 2014 Service Plan. They should ensure that the HSE treats with due respect and compassion all applicants for medical cards, taking fully into account not only incomes but the burdens imposed by medical conditions, illnesses and disabilities;
"The Minister should consult with all Oireachtas members, not just his own party, on the effects of the cuts on citizens.
"We are calling for the Government, in extending free GP care to all, to do so on a programmed, timetabled and transparent basis and in such a way that no-one entitled to a full medical card under the current rules will lose any of the services provided under the card in the context of a free-GP-care-for-all system."
(MH/IT)
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