Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The level of outrage and anger articulated in that blog is something he should read because the phrase "not such a bad diagnosis at all" was adding insult to injury and is something that people with or who have come through cancer cannot comprehend. The person talks about the financial hellhole that the condition entailed involving numerous medications and visits to doctors. Many survivors and many people with cancer are very angry. They see this medical card as the saving grace and lifeline during such a condition. Could the Taoiseach get the Minister to apologise and withdraw those remarks? More importantly, will he reverse the policy of not facilitating people with cancer with discretionary medical cards and stop the policy of reducing the number of discretionary medical cards held by people with long-term chronic illnesses? In recent years the number has been reduced by 21,000. A campaign is under way and I call on the Taoiseach to stop it and reverse it.

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