I take the opportunity to welcome certain aspects of the budget, including the retention of the VAT rate for the tourism sector, as referred to by colleagues. The investment in research will be extremely important and valuable, particularly as it is targeted in very specific areas. The provision for additional teachers and resource teachers is also very welcome, as is the retention of the pupil-teacher ratio. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way which will stretch from County Donegal to County Kerry is an excellent way of tying together the wonderful assets we have on the Atlantic coast and offering a more attractive proposition to the international market.

There is much confusion, fear, anger and hardship with the medical card situation we are facing. Can we ask the Minister for Health for some clarification? I listened to the remarks of the Ministers, Deputies Brendan Howlin, Michael Noonan and James Reilly, as well as those of the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, and the message seems to be that the people who are entitled to a medical card will have one. Despite this, fear, confusion and anger are being created within the media and the Opposition. We need clarity. It cannot be given on the health budget because it is a 24-7 service and there are months of the year left to run. Perhaps somebody needs to be put in charge in the next month to figure out why certain people appear to have lost their medical cards when they had them until last week or last month. Such clarity would bring comfort to those who need a medical card and who appear to be eligible. Mistakes can be made in a system in which more people than ever have medical cards. Bringing some clarity would take away the fear, confusion and anger. It would help if that could be done as soon as possible for the medical card system.

Táimid ag suí anseo inniu go breá sócúlach. Tá daoine eile, ina measc na haostaigh, a bhfuil an-imní orthu mar gheall ar chuid de na ciorraithe atá tagtha isteach sa bhuiséad. Many elderly people are very worried about some of the cuts that were introduced in this budget. One of the particularly cynical cuts has been the cut to the telephone allowance which in itself is not going to make a massive saving for the Government. It needs to be examined and reversed. It will affect 390,000 people and is part of a composite picture where elderly people are seeing an increase in prescription charges and some are losing medical cards. An issue in rural areas has been the huge cutback in rural transport. We need to think about the fact that the telephone line is almost like a lifeline. People use their pendants for personal security, and the line also connects people to their families, friends, health services, communities and so on. In rural areas in particular, the telephone line is essential if people want to have broadband; therefore, it is not just telephone lines that are being taken away from the people who need them but also their connection to their communities. It is a draconian cut. I call on the Leader to arrange a debate not just on this specific issue but also on the impact of austerity cuts on the elderly. It is important we hear how this will affect them. The composite nature of these cuts, with small cuts here, there and everywhere, will come together to make them fearful for the future, worried about how they will connect with their families and how they will cope on their diminishing means.