Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Taking all of the children who have problems of one sort or another, be they physical, intellectual and so on, how does one ensure equality between one person with a particular medical circumstance and another? Where in this regard is the line to be drawn?

As I said earlier in my discussions with the HSE, when a system such as this is centralised and computerised the nature of it is lost because of the manner in which the machine selects cases for review. The challenge for the Minister and the Government is to have a system that is fair but takes into account these circumstances.

While I said earlier that I had not seen the programme referred to, that does not mean I am not aware of it. When I get an opportunity, I will, of course, look at it. I, too, have come across some really difficult cases, some of which were approved and others were not. There are cases in respect of which flexibility is required, even for people who have incomes in excess of the limits. Even where flexibility is applied, one can run into problems in terms of equality of treatment and the reason one person gets a card versus another.

I accept this is an issue. I also have been contacted by parents regarding sensitive and difficult cases. Nobody wants to see this happening. The question that arises is whether we can devise a system that caters for that in a way that is in compliance with the law that has been in place for some time. I am looking at that.

See this speech in context