The first statement that funding for blister packs was being withdrawn sent shock waves into the hearts of the most vulnerable section of people in society, their families, carers and close relations. The second statement, that the Minister is pausing them until 2026, has added further to the confusion for thousands of people who mostly subsist on disability pensions and occupational injury pensions. The severe impact of withdrawing funding for blister pack medication is quite evident in the many emails and complaints I have received in my office from across County Wexford. I received correspondence from an 82-year-old woman's daughter, who is her carer. This woman is blind and has Parkinson's disease. She is on six different medications a day. The daughter has a genuine fear of her mother ending up in hospital or being harmed due to taking the wrong medication. It is genuinely creating a high-risk health and safety issue for both mother and daughter. Another woman, Mary, wrote: My husband has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer which ultimately went to his brain in 2024. My husband was quite unreliable about taking his medication. I asked for trays for three reasons: one, to ensure he was taking his tablets correctly; two, to reduce the mental load of being carer for myself; and three, to reduce conflict in the home. My husband was an intelligent man, but his illness affected him mentally and physically as all illnesses do to everyone. The decision to postpone funding for blister packs is a diabolical one and must be reversed, not postponed or put on the back burner. What most of our vulnerable citizens need now is clarity, protection and a guaranteed assurance that their blister packs will continue to be funded on a permanent basis. I urge every Member of the Oireachtas to support this motion.

Sentiment score: -0.21