It is horrible to see people who are sick endure financial hardship. It is right that we have mechanisms such as the medical card, discretionary emergency medical card and GP visitor card. However, a callous oversight by the Government has been a failure to increase related income thresholds for those under the age of 69 for more than two decades. For two decades, almost one in three people was covered. Today, the same number of people have medical cards as did at that stage, despite a population increase of more than 26%. Can the Taoiseach tell me the reason for that? Despite inflation running at 28% since 2006, eligibility limits for medical cards have not increased. I ask that the Taoiseach consider this in next week’s budget.

Some 52% of people in Ireland have either a medical or GP access card. An extraordinary number of people have access to those services. Demand on the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS, which includes medical cards in the drugs budget, is increasing every year. Our budget is increasing every year and that is to provide services to the people who need them.

What about the threshold? That has not increased. People cannot qualify for medical cards.

Some 52% of people qualify.

Look at your stats. Go back and look.