It is almost a year ago — when this newspaper first started reporting the removal of discretionary medical cards — that a former Labour politician observed it was the "third rail issue" of Irish politics.

An eight-year-old boy with Down Syndrome who lost his medical card last year has pleaded directly to the health minister to give it back during a face to face encounter.

Health Minister James Reilly has admitted the Coalition is inflicting "tremendous distress" on people through widespread medical card reviews, as the issue threatens to damage government party support in Friday’s elections.

Government TDs will come under further pressure over the removal of medical cards from children with Down’s Syndrome or serious illnesses when Fianna Fáil forces a debate on the issue in the Dáil after it returns from the Christmas break.

Parents of sick children who have lost their discretionary medical cards received a boost over the weekend after both the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) and the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) spoke of the hardship their members have seen since cards were withdrawn.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be warned today that the deepening medical cards restriction crisis being defended by his Government is putting a boy’s “life at risk”.

The numbers with discretionary medical cards has fallen 10,400 since the start of the year, with the greatest share of withdrawals or refusals in the South.

Around 50 parents of children with disabilities gathered in Cork City over the weekend to protest at the withdrawal of discretionary medical cards by the HSE.

The mother of a boy who is fighting to have his medical card reinstated said she would be delighted to meet the Taoiseach because she has questions she would like him to answer.