Gilmore: Elderly people "harassed" by medical card system

Elderly people are being "harassed" due to changes in the medical card system, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has admitted.

The Labour leader said there was a “problem” with the way reviews of those entitled to the health benefit were carried out.

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher called for the Tánaiste to get a grip on the situation, as he said people were being asked if their Down syndrome or motor neurone disease had improved as part of the official questioning.