The line Minister's statement on Friday night when she spoke about the three-month pause was tone deaf. It did not address any of the concerns of patients and their families and the issues that they raised about this ill-thought-out and cruel decision. The reason for the postponement is very clear. It is not because Sinn Féin warned the Government in October about the difficulties that this would cause patients both in terms of costs and health outcomes. In fact, the Government ignored us back then. The reason the Government has postponed this is because it has been taken aback by just how upset the public is over this move, particularly our older citizens. On the extra monthly charge, we have seen some pharmacies issuing letters, some of which our colleagues have read from, relating to someone getting an extra €30 while others got an extra €10 so it differed between pharmacies. The fact that people were getting these increases during one of the worst cost-of-living crises is cruel. It was being delivered to people in the depths of winter but that is only one part of the issue. For people who have dementia, brain injuries or mental health issues, or those who simply have to take a large amount of medication, blister packs ensure they do not overdose or miss their doses. The outcome of either of these things can be very serious for a person's health. It can also put extra strain on the health service. For carers and families, blister packs provide reassurance that their loved ones are on top of their medication while allowing them to maintain their sense of independence and manage their healthcare in their own home. If the Minister had addressed the concerns raised by Deputy Cullinane, we would not be in this mess. Why did she not take the advice given in October and prevent us from being here?

Sentiment score: -0.11