Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I listened to the Minister for Health announce on RTE Radio the restoration of some medical cards. It would have been far better if he had come into the Chamber to make the announcement and for it to be scrutinised, but that is not the way the Government works. I asked two weeks ago for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the appointment by him of the chairman of the west and north-west hospitals group. I asked the Taoiseach the same question last week. I am still waiting for an explanation. In the meantime, the individual has resigned. Incidentally, the Minister's first response to a question from Teachta Ó Caoláin was to defend the appointment but to date no explanation either for the resignation or the original appointment has been given to the Dáil or the public.

Last week, I also asked the Taoiseach what has happened to the original files on which decisions were made about people's entitlement to a discretionary medical card, which the Ombudsman said are lost.

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