Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, with regard to memorialisation, the Government has taken a decision to develop a national repository for all archives relating to institutions, and I know the Deputy welcomes that. There are different suggestions as to where it should be located but we intend to press ahead with it, not just so people can have access to records but also in order that the records can be studied. We and other countries can learn from that.

With regard to survivors of the Magdalen institutions, they have received an enhanced medical card from the Government. It is not the standard medical card, it is a better one. It is true it is not the same as the HAA card, but there were certain issues with that. One is particularly related to hepatitis. Hepatitis obviously gives rise to a set of needs that are different from the health needs former Magdalen residents would have. Sadly, there were a number of instances where that card was misused and abused in the context of treatments that are not recognised. There were certain issues with that, and the Department of Health can give the Deputy more information on it, but there are good reasons that we did not go ahead with that.

See this speech in context