Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Public Accounts Committee

2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 38 - Health
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive
Chapter 21 - Budget Management in Health Service Executive
Chapter 22 - Eligibility for Medical Cards

11:30 am

Photo of Robert DowdsRobert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Presumably, Mr. Hennessy will work on that issue. It seems to be an obvious area in which to reduce costs without an adverse effect on patients, which would be to everyone's benefit.

I have a question about the current position on discretionary medical cards and how they are being dealt with. I do not believe everyone should receive a discretionary medical card if they have a serious condition because some people can clearly afford to pay. Is there a need for a local input in that regard, which was the case in the past? If an administrator is dealing with an issue from afar, it is very difficult to fully appreciate the individual circumstances of any given person.