Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----a no change policy here, people start off not being entitled to a medical card, an application is lodged and people are entitled to a medical card either on income grounds or medical grounds. Depending on the nature of those circumstances, a discretion is applied. Twenty thousand medical cards have been issued on discretionary grounds this year.

My understanding, and I do not know whether Deputy Martin can confirm this, is that this is a normal full medical card granted on eligibility grounds both on income and on medical grounds, and it is a normal renewal of a medical card. If I listened correctly to Marie's partner saying that he was not objecting to the renewal process, the fact is that it appears as if there was contact on a number of occasions from the HSE about verification of the woman's medical position.

See this speech in context