Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This decision has been defended by the Government and by a whole series of voices. The Taoiseach's reference to the centralisation of the processing of medical card applications is merely a smokescreen to cover the Government's embarrassment and hide its shame. The Minister, Deputy Reilly, indicated yesterday that he has received categorical assurances from fellow Ministers - he did not say "all Ministers" - that the €13 million projected cost of reissuing these cards would be new money for the health budget and would not result in cuts elsewhere across the health services. Who are these Ministers? Has the Minister, Deputy Reilly, received a full Cabinet assurance that additional moneys will be provided? Is consideration being given to not utilising this year the moneys that were set aside for 2014 to facilitate the roll-out of free GP care for everyone up to the age of six? Is it possible that some of those moneys will be employed in this regard?

On "Morning Ireland" this morning, the director of primary care, John Hennessy, outlined three criteria that are being taken into account. The second of those criteria is a requirement for the person in question to have completed a review process during the relevant period. There is a huge discrepancy between the number of people in that category, which is 15,000, and the number of cards that have been removed, which is 30,000. There is no doubt in the minds of Deputies across this Chamber that many people who had their so-called discretionary medical cards taken from them looked at the situation and decided there was no point in proceeding with the review process because they could see nothing other than a rollercoaster of culling. Are people who validly held medical cards but did not proceed with the review process to be excluded from consideration now? If the criteria that have been laid down are used, their hurt will be compounded. The primary care reimbursement scheme, which is overseeing the reimbursement of medical cards-----

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