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Almost 3,000 medical cards axed in
Donegal
22.10.14
SOME 2,872 medical
cards have been lost in Co Donegal in the last year,
figures obtained by Fianna Fáil reveal.
The number of medical cards in the county has been
cut from 91,013 to 88,141 from September 2013 -
September 2014. The figure includes a reduction of
almost 100 in the number of over 70s medical cards -
from 14,257 to 14,186.
Inishowen-based Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal Charlie
McConalogue condemned the "disgraceful" cuts.
"We now have clear evidence of the scale of the
cuts. In one year alone almost 3,000 medical cards
were taken off people in Donegal - all at the hands
of (then Health) Minister James Reilly," he added.
"For two years the Government has ignored the issue
and denied that there was a deliberate policy to cut
medical cards for people with serious illnesses and
disabilities and the over 70s. It took the loss of
hundreds of council seats to make the Government sit
up and listen.
“However despite claiming to stop these cuts and to
begin restoring medical cards the Government is
still taking cards away from people desperately in
need of them.
"I am dealing with cases every week of people having
their cards withdrawn and then being denied their
cards again on appeal. It is astonishing that
thousands of families are still enduring so much
anguish, hurt and expense at the hands of this
Government." |
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