Kenny defends drop in numbers entitled to medical card
The Taoiseach has been defending a massive drop in the numbers entitled to a discretionary medical card by saying many qualify for a full card.
It comes after the Fianna Fáil leader revealed in the Dáil that thousands more people have been getting letters saying they no longer qualify for the card.
Micheál Martin revealed how the number of discretionary cards has fallen from 80,000 to 56,000 since the coalition took office.
However Enda Kenny said there is an explanation for the fall in those who got a card because of serious illness.
"Bottom line here is that over 22,000 who had discretionary medical cards do not have them now because they are eligible for an ordinary medical card," he said.
"Since the government was elected to office there are over 250,000 extra people who have medical cards who did not have them previously, that's the highest number ever in the history if the state."
