Labour accuses Govt of fast-tracking medical cards

The Labour Party has accused the Government of fast-tracking medical card applications through the Chief Whip’s office for constituents of its four Independent TDs in return for their support on the issue.

The claim comes in the wake of Independent TD Mr Jackie Healy-Rae’s comment that he does not have to go "shouting in the Dáil" about the issue and that he makes his "own representations about medical problems to the Health and Finance Ministers in the Chief Whip’s office".

Mr Healy-Rae was responding to criticism of his support for the Government’s decision to postpone extending medical card eligibility to another 200,000 people.

Labour TD, Ms Breeda Moynihan-Cronin has taken Mr Healy-Rae’s comments to mean that Independent TDs were receiving preferential treatment in the processing medical cards for their constituents.

Speaking in the Dáil last night Ms Moynihan-Cronin said: "If this is the way the Government dishes out medical cards to Independent TDs, it is an absolute disgrace."

"It should not be the case that an application for a medical card brought to the Chief Whip by one of the Government’s Independents should receive more preferential treatment than any other application," she said.

The Minister of Health, Mr Micheal Martin, declined to respond to the accusations.

A number of Fianna Fáil backbenchers are said to have expressed grave reservations about the Government’s decision to postpone increasing eligibility.

They are said to be worried about the level of criticism they have received from their constituents over the issue.

Last night the Government defeated a Labour motion calling on the Minster for Health to reverse his decision on medical cards. The motion was defeated by 76 votes to 71.