Mother fighting for son’s medical card wants Kenny to answer her questions

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.

Despite suffering an eye infection, Ronan Woodhouse, 8, stood for three hours in the cold outside the Fine Gael conference in Limerick on Friday, but Enda Kenny drove past him without acknowledging his plea to “give back my medical card”.

Ronan was born with Down’s syndrome and suffers chronic asthma, sight difficulties, hearing loss, and thyroid problems, and needs a lot of medication and many visits to the GP. The discretionary medical card he has had since he was born was unexpectedly withdrawn despite the Government repeatedly insisting there has been no change in policy.

After his case was highlighted in Saturday’s Irish Examiner, the Taoiseach said he would be happy to meet Ronan and his mother, Noreen Keane. They still have yet to receive any contact from Mr Kenny or his office.

Asked at his party’s conference in the South Court Hotel if he would meet the family, Mr Kenny said: “Of course I am happy to do that.” He said medical cards are assessed on financial means, but added “there is also flexibility that was always there for medical cards in terms of discretionary rights for people who might be over the income limit but whose children or whatever family member have a particular difficulty”.

Ms Keane, a single mother, is above the income threshold for a medical card, but has significant outgoings for her son’s health. She spends €150 a month on medication, on top of about 15 GP visits a year, which cost €60 each.

She said she would have liked to have met Mr Kenny when he was in Limerick at the weekend, but would be happy to meet him at any time. “If I do, I will ask him the question that none of them have answered: If the system has not changed and there is no change of policy, then how come my child’s discretionary medical card has been taken away,” she said.

Health Minister James Reilly said some cases might have “fallen through the cracks” and wants them “investigated and explained”.

However, he told RTÉ’s This Week that there has been no policy change.