Budget 2017 provides for medical cards to be allocated to all children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance once the necessary changes to the legislation have been made. When will these children receive these medical cards and what is timeframe for the legislation because it needs to happen sooner rather than later?

On the same subject, the Minister for Health confirmed that the legislation would be published this session but we need to hear from the Taoiseach about whether the Government will be able to make good on that commitment and whether it will come straight to the floor of the Dáil or need to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. When will the first child receive the medical card because they are in desperate need? We have already discussed this in the House.

It was approved by Government last week and I expect it to come before the House early in the new year and be effectively dealt with and finished by the first quarter of next year when children will be able to get those cards, all 10,000 of them.