An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-16
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Mary Lou McDonald (SF), Dublin Central

The Taoiseach's very cruel decision to withdraw funding for blister pack services has caused huge anger and worry. The Government's penny-pinching means that very vulnerable people will face charges of perhaps up to €50 a month for this service, a charge that many older people simply cannot afford, and may be forced to go without their blister packs, putting their health and welfare at risk.
It is particularly distressing for elderly people with dementia, Alzheimer's, or other serious conditions requiring multiple medications. For them, tablet blister packs are a lifeline to help them remember the right medication to take at the right time and the right dosage. The stress that this has caused should not be underestimated. I have been inundated with messages from older people and their families, who are very worried, angry and hurt. The Taoiseach needs to tell them today that he will reverse permanently this cruel decision and continue to fund the blister pack service.
He needs to tell them they will not be charged-----

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-16