Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The position is that when this Government was elected discretionary medical card applications were not routinely assessed by medical personnel. On the instructions of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, a clinical panel was established to assess the processing of applications for discretionary medical cards. This allows medical professionals to have an input into granting a medical card to persons who exceed the income guidelines but face particular personal circumstances, such as an illness of one sort or another. Discretionary medical cards are awarded to people who are unable, without undue hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for themselves and their families. The number of these cards has fallen by more than 22,000 because this number of discretionary medical card holders now qualify for an ordinary medical card on the basis that they meet the income eligibility criteria. That is a fact.

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