Health Committee to visit medical card centre in Finglas

Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “This is an opportunity for the Committee to meet with staff and discuss with the HSE a variety of issues in relation to medical cards, including delays in the processing of new applications, delays in the review processes, reductions in numbers of discretionary medical cards being issued and medical cards for the over 70's.

“As parliamentarians we meet people who are experiencing delays in receiving medical cards or who are having discretionary medical cards removed and are concerned by the anxiety and worry caused for many people. We as a committee want to go out to the centre to see the processing system first-hand and to gain an appreciation and understanding regarding the various issues relating to medical cards.

“The members of the Committee want to see the application process become less bureaucratic and focused on the needs of applicants and are very much of the viewpoint that those people who need medical cards and who need access to urgent health care should have it in a manner that it timely.\"

This visit will take place at 10am on Thursday, 15th May 2014.

Members of the Committee will be available for interviews outside the centre following the visit.

Media Enquiries to:

Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2

Committee Membership:

Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Robert Dowds, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy

Senators: Colm Burke, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry, Marc Mac Sharry and Jillian Van Turnhout