Five years ago, Kevin Shortall and his wife Tracy didn’t know if their daughter would be alive to make her Communion.

A patient group representing children with life-limiting conditions has warned that Ireland is "back to where we were at the very start" of the medical card crisis due to the Government’s expert panel findings.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing mounting pressure to clarify if radical medical card system reforms will still take place, after Health Minister Leo Varadkar appeared to row back on the vital plans.