Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I support Deputy Billy Kelleher. These elderly persons have medical cards that are valid until 2020 and their applications were assessed and the cards granted by the HSE. At the time, officials obviously felt their circumstances would not change significantly in the next period of years, which was a reasonable and common-sense position to take. I question whether this is being done on a random basis, as I suspect it is being done on a blanket basis, given the number of reviews taking place. These medical cards are being reviewed, even though the persons concerned are in their 80s and 90s. For instance, the day before yesterday I was contacted by the daughter of an 85 year old lady who lived alone. She has a medical card until 2020, but she received a review form in July. She was in hospital at the time and did not see the form. As a result, she did not return it, but she did not realise until she had to obtain medication that she no longer had a medical card without even the reasonable notification of a reminder. If the review form is not returned for whatever reason, card holders do not even receive a reminder that they have not returned their forms and if they do not do so, they will lose their medical cards. That is the least that could be done. In 95% of cases there is no need to, or point in, reviewing the applications because, as Deputy Billy Kelleher said, they will retain their medical cards. The HSE assessed them and took the view that they had a fixed income which would not change in the next number of years unless they won the lotto, which we cannot all win. This issue needs to be examined.

Assessments on medical grounds as opposed to those relating to general discretion where applicants exceed the income thresholds are taking weeks on end and, in some cases, the medical evidence provided by people with serious health conditions and who are slightly over the limit is sitting in a queue. I am aware of one case that took more than three weeks to decide and this is happening on an ongoing basis. This issue also needs to be examined.