No medical card for Ryan, despite vow from Taoiseach 3 months ago

The family of a toddler denied a medical card three times despite having Down syndrome, a hole in the heart and a collapsed lung, is still living in limbo — three months after Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the issue would be resolved "to your satisfaction".

The parents of Ryan Gilmartin, 16 months, from Ballina, Co Mayo, revealed the delay as they prepared to hand in a 65,000-strong petition to Government today calling for medical card reforms to be fast-tracked.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner ahead of a meeting with Fine Gael TD and health committee chairman Jerry Buttimer, Ryan’s mother Nichola said Mr Kenny intervened after the Our Children’s Health group told him of the case last autumn.