No Wait Card Ireland
Mark Wall highlighted No Wait Card Ireland Awareness Day and his Bill to expand recognition of the card for patients with serious conditions. Peter Burke praised the campaign and said the Minister for Health supported the initiative.
Today is No Wait Card Ireland Awareness Day. It is supported by Crohn's and Colitis Ireland, Spinal Injuries Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society and the Continence Foundation of Ireland. I thank Kildare woman Maria Crowe once again for raising the importance of this card. The Minister will know that, with the support of the Labour Part, I have a Bill on Second Stage to make this card widely available and recognised. I take the opportunity to thank the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, for her continued support and advice on this card, and the Chief Medical Officer and her staff. Raising the awareness and acceptance of this card would be a life-changer for hundreds of thousands of Irish people who suffer from bowel and bladder diseases and medical conditions, of which I am one. It would give us all independence and freedom to plan our lives better. I ask the Minister and Government to continue to support the development of such a card and ensure the Minister for Health has all the supports that her Department needs to bring this life-changing card to the hands of those who need it most, giving hope to young and old and changing their lives for good.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy Wall for his very important intervention. I heard part of the interview this morning, which was exceptional and very courageous, showing leadership in an area which affects so many people in our society. I know the Minister for Health is supportive of the Deputy's initiative and remains so. I hope that we can all work together to make society a better place for people who struggle with these life-limiting conditions and give them the opportunity to function as normally as they can, notwithstanding the challenges that they have, and make society a better place for us all. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is very supportive. I hope the Minister and Deputy Wall will continue to work together. I commend Deputy Wall on his work and leadership in this regard and the exceptional interview that we heard this morning.