23 May 2012, 15:33
The Committee on Health and Children will discuss delays in processing medical cards with Assistant National Director of the Health Service Executive, Paddy Burke, at its meeting tomorrow, 24th May.
Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “The Committee has already raised the issue of delays in the medical card application process when we visited the Medical Card Centre at the HSE Offices in Finglas on March 2nd and when the Minister for Health and the HSE came before the Committee on March 21st.
Tomorrow, we will have an opportunity to get an update on the issue when Assistant National Director of the HSE Paddy Burke will address the Committee. Since the processing of medical cards was centralised last July many concerns have been raised about long delays which have caused much anxiety and worry for applicants.
The members of the committee want to see the application process become less bureaucratic and focused on the needs of applicants and would like to see all applications being processed within 21 days. The priority of the committee is that anyone who is eligible for a medical card receives one in a timely and efficient manner. We will certainly be following up on this issue.
Tomorrow, we will have an opportunity to ascertain what progress has been made since March on clearing the backlog of medical card applications and dealing with the problems which led to this backlog arising in the first place. We look forward to getting an update on measures taken to simplify and streamline the process to improve the experience of those applying for medical cards.
Our meeting is also an opportunity for members of the committee to outline the experiences of many applicants who have voiced their concerns about the process and a chance to raise any issues they may have on the medical card application system.”
This meeting will start in Committee Room 2 at 11.30am on Thursday, 24th May.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
ENDS
Committee Membership:
Deputies
Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael
Catherine Byrne, Fine Gael
Michael Colreavy, Sinn Fein
Ciara Conway, Labour Party
Regina Doherty, Fine Gael
Robert Dowds, Labour Party
Peter Fitzpatrick, Fine Gael
Seamus Healy, Independent
Derek Keating, Fine Gael
Billy Kelleher, Fine Fail
Eamonn Maloney, Labour Party
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fail
Mattie McGrath, Independent
Denis Naughten, Independent
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Sinn Fein
Senators
Colm Burke, Fine Gael
John Crown, Independent
David Cullinane, Sine Fein
John Gilroy, Labour Party
Imelda Henry, Fine Gael
Marc Mac Sharry, Fine Fail
Jillian Van Turnhout, Independent