James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The discretionary medical card emanates from discretion that was conferred on the CEOs of health boards. It was at the CEO's discretion, not a doctor's discretion. The cards were given out for all sorts of reasons. In some regions, anybody who had cancer would get a card. As we all know, in the past the word "cancer" struck terror into people's hearts and the prognosis was very poor, but cancer nowadays is a very different condition. It ranges, sadly, from a desperate diagnosis to often being not such a bad diagnosis at all. I set up the system, and requested that it be put in place, whereby discretionary medical cards were based on medical grounds. A team of medical doctors, unrelated to the patient, assess the situation and decline or give a discretionary medical card on a medical basis. When the HSE was formed the CEOs of health boards were no longer there so there was a question over who had the discretion. Perhaps in south Tipperary the discretion might have been devolved to a doctor. I find it hard to believe that it always was.