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THE FALL IN the number of people with medical cards is not due to any change in government policy, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.
The Taoiseach was responding to questions from Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin, who raised the issue during Leaders’ Questions this afternoon.
Martin asked the Taoiseach to restore discretionary medical cards to those who had lost them, citing that as many as “44,000 cards had been taken out of the system”.
Kenny stated the fall in numbers receiving the card was due to people moving from this discretionary card to a ordinary medical card.
He said that number of people who have a medical card is at its highest in the history of the State saying that 250,000 more people have medical cards now than when his government came into office.
A discretionary medical card can be awarded to those who are not eligible for a medical card but “are unable to access GP services without undue hardship”.
For those who are terminally ill, and for those who receiving an emergency medical card, their illness still needs to be verified.
“There’s no legal basis for what people might call a cancer medical card or a motor neuron medical card,” the Taoiseach said.
“Sitting in supermarkets for hours”
Kenny also said that the government would be “cognisant of the difficulties that many people experience” when deciding elements of Budget 2014.
This was in response to calls from Independent TD Seamus Healy to reverse increases made to the cost of fuel over the past two years, which he says has resulted in the elderly leaving their houses “to go to supermarkets where can sit for hours” for warmth.
(Image Credit: Screengrab)
The South Tipperary TD called the rises in the price of oil and gas as “indirect attacks condoned by your government”, and warned of the extent of fuel poverty in Ireland.
The Taoiseach said that despite the difficult situation Ireland has faced since the financial collapse that “it’s not just a case of abandoning people”.
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That’s a shame…. Middle East royalty share Andrews values towards women and victims, I would have said it was the perfect destination
@Tony Henry: Good point. He could Marry four or five 14 year olds over there and they wouldn’t blink an eye!
@Tony Henry: he could just join the Church of the Latter Day Saints and do it here. No need to travel or change religion. Plus you get more wives.
@Tony Henry: Have people forgotten what Prince Phillips rumours were as well?
When you have everything, but it’s not enough.
@Hippocampus: he is a nasty piece of work, not particularly bright staying in a child traffickers house for 4 days after telling him their friendship was over.
Why hasn’t he been arrested?
@Darren Davitt: Diplomatic Immunity…
@Ryan Maher: That old chestnut!
@Darren Davitt: not even allowed to investigate never mind arrest. Completely outside the law.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: As far as I know, only Charles and William and his eldest son have immunity.
He be right at home there
I’d avoid going down any tunnels in a fast car for a while old bean…….amazing how a nasty accident happens to a royal who doesn’t meet the standards and upsets lizzie. Be a terrible thing to happen again
He’s cancelled the trip as he realizes he should stay away from places with trafficked girls for a while.
@Steve O’Shea: The Saudis are famous for raping their Indian house staff / slaves and when they fall pregnant then dump them back into India as fast as possible…
Financially supported by his mother? Classic. I’m always dumbfounded that the brits put up with this craic and the blood line going back to Germany, which I might have accidentally read before? As I wouldn’t be investigating such things, as I couldn’t give a @€(& but think the google machine once showed me in passing.
@devvrox: I will never understand it either. They give out about welfare scroungers over there. The Royal Family are the biggest of the lot. Plus as you say they are German so they are welfare scrounging immigrants! I think that was one of the reasons for the Brexit argument?!?
@devvrox: She will rubber stamp him lol.
Given ME proclivities, I would have thought he’d well received over there.
The randy old Duke of York
He liked his school girls young
His best friend Epstein was the source
for all his party fun
It took a forensic journalist
With intricate interview skill
To bring down this predator prince
To public horror and thrill
But don’t forget his victims
They have been to Hell
They deserve justice now
It’s time HRH did tell.
He really is extremely, intellectually challenged. Perhaps lucky for him is that he doesn’t know how much trouble he is in. And as for that harridan of an ex wife, a more disgusting piece of work is rarely found. And he takes advice from her.
Two words sounds like ‘dying stunt’
@Patrick Fitzgibbon: crying grunt?
@Joey Navinski: nope try again
From my brother:
Oh the Grand Old Duke of York
He told 10,000 lies
He abused a bunch of teenage girls
And would not apologise.
And the lies he told were crap.
He grimaced like a clown.
And when on the BBC last night
They hung him upside down…
Apparently he’s heading to Paris for a weekend breakaway from all the hubbub he’s caused.
Mothers suggestion.
Is he still going to Thailand these days???
have your say