Reilly: No political will to fix medical card issue

James Reilly, the health minister, has blamed the medical card debacle on his colleagues saying there has been "no political will" or support on the issue at Cabinet.

He faced more complaints from party TDs in Leinster House last night but also said there could be no more cuts in health.

TDs and senators sought answers on how discretionary medical cards would be returned to their constituents after the recent announcement that a review of such cards was being suspended.

“Everyone is in waiting mode to see what will happen to those who lost their cards. He [Mr Reilly] was open about trying to find support at Cabinet. But some members were saying it was too late, they hadn’t been listened to as far back as after last year’s budget,” said a party member at the weekly parliamentary party meeting.

The removal of thousands of discretionary medical cards in the last year has led to outrage over people with long- term medical conditions losing their automatic entitlements to some services.

The Cabinet last week agreed to suspend the controversial review of such cards and to examine a new policy of basing entitlement on medical conditions rather than just income alone. Mr Reilly presided over the meeting as Taoiseach Enda Kenny was on business in the US.