Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government commits to a humane approach to discretionary medical cards. It also commits to reviewing the way that people who are undergoing cancer treatment can get medical cards. At the moment, I am dealing with two cancer patients who are undergoing treatment and both are being obliged to fight to get or hold medical cards. Charles is an older man and has recently been refused, even though he is undergoing treatment. Nora, much younger, has already fought off breast cancer and is currently fighting throat cancer. Her card has been taken from her and she is having to fight for a new card. There should be some humane way of allocating medical cards to people who need them. If anybody should have one, surely Nora and Charles should. Has the review been conducted? If not, when will it be conducted? Worse still, if it has been conducted, is it the reason these two people are being refused?

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