John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In recent weeks I have come across three people aged over 70 who have been refused medical cards. They discovered the reason was that gross income is assessed in their cases. This is an issue of equality. One would imagine that those aged over 70 should be treated the same as those aged under 70 in the assessment of income and net income should be used for everyone. The HSE has launched an information campaign about the medical card system in recent weeks. One of its reasons for doing so was the widespread confusion about medical cards. Does this situation not add to the confusion and distrust citizens have in the operation of the system? There should be equity in the system regardless of how we assess the medical cards. The age of the applicant does not matter and the same criteria should be set for all. This is confusing for those who work within the health service, given the number of Deputies and local authority members contacting them on the issue of inequality in the assessment of medical cards.

See this speech in context