I notice from the Taoiseach's comments earlier that he has obviously had sight or some account of our pre-budget proposal. If that is the case, he will be aware that we want the Government to make medical cards automatically available to all patients suffering from cancer. As matters stand and as the Taoiseach knows, medical cards are automatically awarded to children suffering from cancer who are under the age of 18. We believe, however, that this should be the case for everyone who has the devastating diagnosis of cancer. As the Taoiseach is aware, a cancer diagnosis can often cause a person to have to reduce his or her hours or even give up work, and medical expenses can increase significantly. Such a diagnosis can be financially as well as emotionally crippling. In that context, I ask the Government to adopt this proposal from Sinn Féin. It is part of a wider budgetary scheme to give families and workers a break, but this cohort in particular is in need of attention.

That matter was examined by an independent expert group a number of years ago. I was Minister for Health at the time and Ms Kathleen Lynch was a Minister of State in the Department. The expert group concluded that to do what Deputy McDonald proposes would not be the right way forward because, of course, we would then be saying to people with multiple sclerosis or motor neurone disease, for example, that their diseases do not merit automatic eligibility for a medical card, even though they are very severe and debilitating illnesses, but that somebody who may have a curable skin cancer would be automatically entitled to a medical card. If the Deputy can explain why she thinks somebody with a curable skin cancer should be automatically entitled to a medical card and somebody with multiple sclerosis should not, she can tell us.