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THE TAOISEACH CAME under pressure for the second day in a row in the Dáil this afternoon over the Government’s handling of medical cards, as he repeatedly rejected claims that the coalition’s current position on the issue is “inconsistent and incoherent”.
It was confirmed yesterday that over 15,000 people who lost discretionary cards after an eligibility review are to have them returned, following a decision taken at a Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
However, concerns have been raised that thousands of people who did not engage, or did not engage fully with that review process will be left without a card, in spite of yesterday’s announcement.
At Leader’s Questions today, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin also questioned Enda Kenny on why no refunds were being considered for people who may have been hit with substantial medical costs while without a card.
Micheál Martin
Responding, the Taoiseach once again apologised for the undue stress caused by the review of the cards, which the Government conceded yesterday had “produced unintended consequences”.
He stressed a number of times that €13 million was being spent to restore the cards to the 15,000 or so people in question, adding that he had been told by the HSE today that he expected letters to be sent out confirming the reinstatements within the next four weeks.
“Those who were unable to respond, those circumstances have to be taken into account by the HSE,” the Taoiseach said.
Enda Kenny
Referring to comments by Health Minister James Reilly yesterday ruling out compensation for those who lost cards, Kenny said “the Minister was clear yesterday about the issue”.
And rejecting Martin’s contention that the Government’s plan for how cards would be allocated in future was incoherent, he made reference to the panel of medical experts set up to examine the issue, and said “1,000 submissions” had been received by it already. (The panel, set up earlier this month in reaction to the medical card controversy, is due to make its recommendations to the HSE by September).
On the question of how new cases are being dealt with at the moment, Kenny said:
The right of the Director for the HSE to have the discretion to allocate cards on the mercy principle applies, as it does for a doctor to say this person — child or adult — needs an emergency card to deal with their person circumstance.
Willie O’Dea and Micheál Martin. They weren’t impressed by the Taoiseach’s response.
Responding to a question from Sinn Féin’s Caoimhin Ó Caolain, the Taoiseach said the €13 million figure agreed by Cabinet yesterday was coming from elsewhere in the Government budget, and would not result in funds being diverted from elsewhere in the health service.
He insisted the eligibility review was “not a smokescreen” and said it had been designed “to have an assessment that was fair to everybody”.
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This Coalition Government has reached a point where there is zero respect left for them .
Exactly the same point has been reached now with Enda , where Bertie Ahern & Brian Cowan reached, shortly before they resigned too !
The Taoiseach’s Comedy Show yesterday regarding non political interference in Banks Committee Hearings, was indeed so pathetically sad too , by virtue of The Walter Mitty World that he seems to live in !
That and Ceann Comhairle , Sean Barrett , having to “save” him from making a further fluther of himself altogether , from Gerry Adam’s further questioning too !
A General Election is only months away now , I imagine .
Adams was out of order and had to be chastised like a little schoolboy. Shinners should not expect normal politicians to be scared of them because of their association with violence.
Pathetic comment. Kenny is afraid to do an interview. Based on that I’d say he’s extremely sensitive to criticism of any sort.
Pickart, is that the best you can come out with, moron.
Dream on Kerry Shinner
Ah the Dáil is a pantomime at the moment, literally. All we need is the opposition to tell Kenny to “look behind him”. Farcical.
While Enda and company have royally screwed up on this issue and rightly got punished for it, I find it hard to stomach any lectures from the former failed Minister for Health. He has zero credibility to speak on health.
Watch this incoherent answer when kenny was asked about coyles medical card Taoiseach Dodging Question about Coyles medical c…:
http://youtu.be/gO-SYiH5xtw
How hypocritical is Micháel Martin? How does that man have the nerve to stand up and lecture and give out about what’s going on in this case “Medical Cards”. He is STILL part of the shower of S**** that put pen to paper and sold us out.
We are having to deal with all these issues because FF were so good at keeping them under the carpet and just kept on giving. He physically makes me sick.
Adam, don’t let your pro FG bias fool you, “medical cards” as you put it, are a serious issue, one of many serious issues absolutely bottled by this govt. I wouldn’t trivialise it or use it as a point scoring contest against FF (who don’t have much more moral high ground by the way)
@Adam: I’ll agree with you that FF got us into the mess and in a just world should never see power again
But it was the current government who stayed late into the night to ensure that the debt was converted to sovereign debt and thus ensuring that our kids and grand kids will still be paying it long after you and I are gone.
FG/LAB are actually worse than the last lot. They promised to change all this!
Inconsistent and incoherent ? A bit like most of the shower in the dail.
Oh yes it is !
Oh no it isn’t!
Yes it tis … Yes it tis ….
Willie “de rat” ODea in his usual place next to Mehole so he can get his puss on the telly. “look at me I’m at work” Would somebody please ask him what has he done for Limerick city in the last 35 years or so as a TD?????
€13 million to restore the csrds ???? What a joke of a government. Enda Kenny please do whats best for the country and trouser your pension and leave…you seem to be a nice man, but you are totally out of your depth, please go!
Martin is right in asking the questions he is it is his job… Please can the Sinn bots and others just focus on the what he is saying and stop the snide remarks about him.
Play the ball not the man…
So the did Enda screw up? Was Martin fair in his questions and statements?
Martin and FF are the elected main opposition of this country like them or hate them. He is asking questions and providing an opposition. By the way some thing FG, SF and Lab offered very little of in the time pre 2007, some great collective amnesia by some in the Dail…
So lets get on with it and stop the bickering… Truth is FF were in charge when the country collapsed and none of the opposition can point to ways they provided opposition which would have avoided that. So bitching from any side now is completely hypocritical…
So essentially what you’re saying Ted is FG/Lab/SF were equally as guilty for the damage FG/PDs/Greens done to this country?
You do realise in your post you have asked people to stop criticising Martin as it’s his job, while then being hypocritical yourself by criticising him in calling him (both sides) hypocrites?
Did
If the man had a pair of balls and actually used them when dealing with the EU, the banks and the bondholders maybe we could have avoided a lot of hassle instead he took his balls gave them to the mafia in europe/banks and now hes like a turkey at christmas dodging the axe
How on earth does it cost €13 million to issue 15000 cards?? Especially when they have all the details of the person already on file.
€866 per card!
Hmmm, that’s a lot of “stamps” I guess!
How does it cost €13 million to reinstate these cards??
Martin as minister set up the HSE!
It was a disastrous decision by any Minister !
amazing what a loss of local and euro seats can do to make govt reverse decision that was not for changing…
have your say