Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----resulted in many families being severely inconvenienced. I am very sorry that many of the cases that were brought to light on foot of the examination of discretion caused a great deal of stress for people.

I will get the exact figure for Deputy Martin but approximately 13,000 cards will be restored to people who had cards that were awarded on a discretionary basis taken from them since the decision was taken to centralise the examination system. They should receive their cards back within the next four weeks. The question that arises is what one does in respect of ordinary medical cards for which applications are being made and on which a review continues and in cases where an appeal is lodged. The first criteria is to deal with cards that have been withdrawn that had been issued on a discretionary basis where undue hardship applied and where there were particular medical circumstances. A number of such cases were outlined in the House recently and the impact the withdrawal of the cards had on families. I have not seen the newspaper to which Deputy Martin referred, or the cases he outlined, but the decision made by the Government was to cease the review that was under way in respect of discretionary cards that had been awarded in order that people who have had a discretionary card given to them should continue to have one because of the suspension of the review process. I do not know the cases Deputy Martin spoke about but following the decision of the Government, those who have a discretionary medical card should continue to have it. I will have the cases checked. It is clear that the decision made today was to deal with those who had been awarded discretionary cards whose cards were withdrawn for whatever reason on review. The issue is an administrative one as distinct from a legal one. The point is to give the cards back to the people who had them awarded on discretion and who lost the card following the review.

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