Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

We all acknowledge that the centralisation process which began some years ago has resulted in some problems in the processing of medical card applications. The Minister of State, Deputy Róisín Shortall, regularly meets the HSE in an effort to iron out any the difficulties that arise. As the Deputy acknowledged, there are proposals which will make it easier for people, including self-assessment and so on. These are being implemented on a gradual basis.

As I said, the reviewing and refining of the systems for the receipt and logging of applications and documents is ongoing. As public representatives, we have all seen cases in which a person is adamant that he or she has submitted all the required documentation only to receive a request for more information. That issue is being addressed, but I accept it is frustrating. I will convey the Deputy's concerns to the Minister of State who is taking a hands-on approach to this issue. I agree that as we are talking about very vulnerable people, we should ensure the information is available. As I said, a person whose case is under review will continue to hold his or her card until the review is completed. I recognise this is a cause of great worry.

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