Will the Taoiseach advise if there has been a change of approach with regard to medical cards? Over the last while, a significant number of people have come to me, especially older women who have had medical cards for a long time and whose cards are now suddenly being taken away from them. Has there been a change of approach? Figures released to me show an increase in the number of people who are applying for medical cards but a decrease in the number of medical cards being issued. As well as medical cards, a lot of people have come to me who have not been given a discretionary medical card. We see in the numbers there has been a halving in the number of discretionary medical cards issued in the last number of years. I am trying to get to the bottom of this. Has there been a change of approach? If the Taoiseach is not aware of a change of approach, will he find out if there has been a change of approach by the Department?

Part of the reason could be the expansion of medical card eligibility. More than 1.5 million people now have a medical card. There has been exponential growth in that number. The previous Minister took significant steps in successive budgets to expand coverage. I am surmising but I will ask the HSE and the Minister to get some background information or statistics for the Deputy. I presume and surmise that quite a lot of people who had discretionary cards and who may not have been entitled-----

It is both.

Just hear me out. Some people who might not have been entitled because of income ineligibility are now entitled-----

It is both.

-----so they move from discretionary to automatic entitlement.

Perhaps the Deputy will send her question to the Taoiseach.