Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are frustrated ourselves with the medical card office. The biggest mistake ever made was its centralisation. It is a nightmare to deal with it. I put that on public record. Any journalist or newspaper can take it because I will stand over it. It has been a disaster. As stated, some people are still waiting. Last week, after threatening to go to the Ombudsman, I got the office to issue a discretionary card to a person who had been waiting since last February. The minute I said I thought he was being unfairly treated and I was reporting the matter to the Ombudsman, the card was issued with a validity until June of next year, which is a very short time. Centralising the office has not worked because the discretion of the community welfare officer to grant a medical card has been removed.

One applies to the office in Dublin and as soon as one does so, one gets a number. That is all one is now. At least when it was done locally one was regarded as a person. The CWO could say: “I know Johnny is getting a good wage but he is leaving it in the bar and the family do not have money.” The CWOs could use their discretion but that does not happen now. It is not working. I would like to see it go back to the old way but I suppose that would be too big a step.