The best way to describe this situation is that we are now right at the bottom of the barrel in society. In the UK, the Labour Party Government brought in cuts in funeral cost supports and there was an absolute outcry. Elderly people in the UK are absolutely disgusted their Government did that. What the Government here is doing with blister pack charges is shocking. It is attacking the most vulnerable in society, namely, the elderly, the disabled and the sick. The Government knows that is whom it is attacking. It is why it is slipping in a kind of underhanded charge. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. In fairness, it calls a spade a spade. The blister packs we are talking about cost anything from €20 to €50 and even more for complex medications. The charges will affect people with dementia and their carers and people with Parkinson's disease. Taking their medication on time every time is very important for those patients. This really is an attack on the elderly. People are facing a range of little charges, including prescription charges and GP blood test charges. Elderly people are telling me they cannot get to see a chiropodist. A gentleman who came to my clinic in Clonakilty the other day said he is finding it very difficult to get a chiropodist appointment. All these hidden withdrawals of services and hidden charges are attacks on people. The most annoying thing is that we have a pharmacy union that is putting up with this nonsense from the Government. The Minister announced free HRT medication for women and then threw it to the pharmacies to clean up the dirty mess. She had to clean it up herself in the end but that situation should never have arisen. In this case, once again, the pharmacy union should be not in that situation. Pharmacists are being dragged here and there having to explain to the people to whom they have been so good and caring down through the years that this is a cost outside their control. Blister packs are not a luxury but the Government seems to think people only want them because they are a cool thing to have. In fact, they might be the difference as to whether a patient with dementia or a very serious illness can control their medication every day without missing it and then collapsing and having to go into hospital, which ends up being a terrible cost to the State and their family. I do not understand where this is coming from. By saying it is deferring the charges and kicking the can down the road to March or April, does that mean the Government will bring forward this proposed charge again? It has been resoundingly rejected by the public and the majority of the political system in this House. The Government needs to be very clear on what will happen. Every TD I have heard speaking has said that. The Government must make up its mind. Is it going ahead with this? It must tell the truth and stop codding people. This is an outrageous attack on elderly people. I know of a lady who cares for her 82-year-old mother who has Alzheimer's disease. A blister pack charge means she is facing extra costs of up to €40 a month that she cannot afford. Where will this money come from? There are extra costs across the board and nothing for people in the budget other than €10 for pensioners and people on disabilities. A lot of people have lost €1,400 in disability supports this year, which is an astonishing attack on them. There is time for the Government to wake up and act.

Sentiment score: -0.13