asked the Minister for Health why a person (name supplied) cannot be supplied by Roscommon County Council with free medicines more than once every two months.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Supply of Free Medicines.
61.
I understand that Roscommon Health Authority consider that the person in question is entitled, as a hardship case, to receive half his regular requirement of medicines free of charge. They have provided this level of assistance by forwarding a month's supply of medicines every other month.
The assistance appropriate in a particular case and the manner of providing it are matters for determination by the health authority.
It is quite clear that this case is a hardship case. The man applied to the local authority for free medicines. That was granted. Then they made the decision that he would be entitled to receive medicines free of charge only every alternate month. If this local authority get away with this, where will it end? Either the man is entitled or is not entitled. It is the first time that this has happened, to my knowledge.
It may be. Every hardship case has to be treated on its merits. It quite often happens that the authority decides that the applicant is not entitled to have all of his drugs supplied free but that he must bear some proportion of the cost. Having looked into the case myself, I think their decision in this case was fair and reasonable.
I think it is only hair splitting and it is a pity to let them away with it.