Medical cards clampdown was agreed last January

A clampdown on medical cards was agreed by the Government in January despite continuous claims since then that there had been no change of policy.

The health service spending plan for 2013 — signed off on by Health Minister James Reilly — said “policy changes” would result in a reduction of 40,000 cards.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin yesterday said this amounted to an “edict” going out from central Government “to start culling cards”.