Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is happening at long last. The Government is spending €4 billion plus in the charities sector. We have not even had a centralised register of all charities. We will have that now and a proper regulator and we will come up to international best practice in this sector. I welcome that and look forward to the Minister progressing that.

I caught the end of Senator Cullinane's contribution. When is the Government going to stop hitting out at the most vulnerable? I know we want the money to follow the patient but are we going to start means testing patients in receipt of mental health or disability care from the HSE? If people have a disability or mental health issue, are they going to have to be means tested to access services and to access a medical card? Will individuals have to part-fund their own care? Can we believe that we are going to consider living in a country that is going to do this, to attack the most vulnerable? I would like the Leader to arrange for a debate on this matter at the earliest opportunity which will be in September but at the earliest opportunity in September. He should get us back a week earlier because the budget is a-coming. I would like to discuss this matter further. Money following the patient is clearly the way forward but it is not going to be used as a cover up for cuts to the most vulnerable.