Ms Bernie McNally:

With regard to medical cards, the Oireachtas worked actively with the HSE and the primary care reimbursement service. We also met them because we received a number of complaints about applications getting lost. In most of these cases we got a resolution for the complainant. We also had several meetings with senior managers in the HSE with regard to improving the procedures of the primary care reimbursement service and I know the Deputy worked on this also. It now has much more efficient procedures in place and files are not getting lost as much as was happening.

We received some complaints about files going missing in the Department of Social Protection and we always pursue these complaints. We look for evidence and if we are reasonably satisfied the complainant did send in an application or the necessary paperwork we require the Department to act reasonably.