I ask the Taoiseach to engage with the Minister for Health and ask her to review and, indeed, expand the long-term illness scheme. It rightly acknowledges a number of chronic illness and conditions, but it fails to acknowledge many others, such as those living with serious mental health conditions over the age of 16, heart conditions such as sarcoidosis, rare diseases like factor V Leiden and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's and colitis. These illnesses do not go away; they are managed for life.

Our drugs payment scheme is no doubt a huge source of relief for all families, capping medical expenses at €80 per month, but €80 per month for the rest of a person's life is a lot of money. This is an issue of fairness, equality, compassion and public health. Expanding the long-term illness list would ensure that those already carrying the weight of illness are not also carrying the weight of financial burden. I ask the Taoiseach and our Government to act on this and to update this outdated list and give dignity and support to every person living with a long-term illness.

I thank Deputy Dempsey very much. I understand the case she is making. This has been a long-running scenario where successive governments have endeavoured to try to harmonise existing systems. The long-term illness scheme has survived numerous attempts by officialdom to eliminate it. However, in the past number of years, we have concentrated on reducing the level of the drugs payment scheme to €80, which was a significant reduction from where it was four years ago. As the Deputy said, however, there is a greater focus and profile on rare diseases now and we do have to examine that issue for those affected and impacted. I will talk to the Minister for Health on the Deputy's behalf.