Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. She has spoken about an enhancement to the roll-out of the scheme that has been put in place. It is important to recognise that we are looking to make this scheme as easy as possible for people to get the initial award of a payment, a medical card or both, and to draw down the benefit. The Deputy identified a slight lacuna. A resource is being put in place to address the issue. I hope that will be evidence to the Deputy and to others that we are learning and always looking to design the scheme as effectively as possible.

There is a unit in my Department with oversight of the overall application of the scheme. There is a separate unit doing the day-to-day work of processing. I will come back to the Deputy with the exact figures, if that would be useful. As she knows, there is an appeals process. Where an application for the scheme is unsuccessful, the person concerned is entitled within six months of the notice of the termination of the scheme to make an appeal. That works within statutory timelines.

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