Kenny admits medical cards ‘issue’

The Taoiseach has accepted the removal of discretionary medical cards is "an issue" of concern to parents of sick and vulnerable children and has asked the HSE to take a more humane approach when examining cases.

Enda Kenny made the comments more than a year after concerns were first raised in the Dáil about how seriously ill people and children with severe disabilities were losing the benefit without warning.

He met with health officials to discuss the issue yesterday after more than 20 Fine Gael back-bench TDs told a parliamentary party meeting last week that it had become one of the biggest issues being raised by voters on the doorsteps.