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

On that last point, it is very important that the door is not closed on those who did not respond for a variety of reasons. Many people felt intimidated by the entire barrage that came from the Government, which insisted that this cull must take place in the interests of so-called probity. I hope the door has been left open for such people. Will there be a process of appeal or review for those who have had their cards cut over the relevant period, but who do not receive a letter in the coming weeks as Mr. Hennessy has indicated? Will there be an opportunity for them to present again? What about those who applied for cards on discretionary grounds over the relevant period and had their applications refused? Given that the same criteria of assessment were applied to such people between 2011 and 2014, surely they are equally entitled to have their positions taken into account now.

Those who were holding discretionary medical cards - many voices on the Government benches claimed that such cards never existed - were not the only people to be targeted. What about the over 70s who were targeted during the exact same period? I know of many cases of people over the age of 70 who have gone through undoubted anguish and suffering because they have lost their medical cards and have to depend on GP-only cards, which are very inadequate replacements for what they previously had great faith in.

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