Minister for Health James Reilly will be asked to attend the Seanad to answer questions about the withdrawal of discretionary medical cards.

Seanad leader Maurice Cummins said the Minister had pledged to deal with the issue. He told the House 96.4 per cent of medical card reviews confirmed continuing eligibility, "but that is no consolation to the people who have been put in the position of having to provide documentation".

He was responding to Fianna Fáil Seanad leader Darragh O’Brien, who had proposed to amend the order of business to demand the Minister “discuss exactly what is happening and what form the review of the removal of discretionary medical cards is going to take”. He accused Dr Reilly of “blatantly refusing to come into this House”, but his party colleague Marc MacSharry commended Dr Reilly “because unlike some of his colleagues he always makes himself available for debates”.

‘False impression’

Colm Burke

(FG) welcomed the call for the Minister to address the House. He said a review “gives a very false and misleading impression”.

“My argument is that if four out of 100 medical cards are withdrawn because of the change in the criteria, the unfortunate problem created is that the 96 people who retain their cards are convinced that someone tried to take their cards from them.”