Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson Deputy Pearse Doherty has today welcomed the cross party support received last night for a Sinn Féin motion passed by the Dáil calling for very sick children who are in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) to automatically be provided with a medical card.
Deputy Doherty said; “The denial of medical cards to people who are so desperately in need of them is something which can never be justified and nobody is in any doubt of the depth of hardship, anxiety and grief which such a situation causes to such vulnerable people and here too in our own county we also know all too well of the impact which this issue has on the lives of ordinary people.”
“Last night in the Dáil, we heard some of the many examples from all sides of the chamber. However, when we hear such harrowing stories of gravely sick, ill and disabled children, it strikes an even deeper chord.”
“In the gallery above the Dáil chamber, there were parents who watched over the proceedings last night, many of whom have experienced this hurt first hand and who now wish to see the actions of this motion brought forward urgently.”
“I and my party very much welcome the huge levels of strong support which was received from right across the Dáil chamber for this motion, and Sinn Féin welcomes the Minister’s commitment also and he has said that he will extend medical cards to these sick children.”
“However what is clear is that such action cannot wait until 2017, and while Oireachtas members may be rising from the House this week, this doesn’t prevent the Minister from publishing the legislation to give effect to this commitment over the recess.”
“The commitment has been made and it will be a budget priority for 2017. There can be no excuses, no hesitation, no long-fingering. We need to give these families certainty and we need to give these children the best possible quality of health care.”
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