Yesterday, Minister for Health Simon Harris said he is committed to providing 10,000 medical cards to very sick children in Ireland to help families "in some small way".
The Minister is said to be very confident that he will be able to get cross-party support for the Bill, which will automatically provide medical cards for sick children in receipt of a Domiciliary Care Allowance.
In a statement released yesterday, Minister Harris said:
“Families all around the country are caring for about 30,000 very sick children. They currently receive Domiciliary Care Allowance but one-in-three do not get a medical card.
"I am extending this to include 10,000 more children in receipt of the DCA who will be provided with a medical card. I hope that not having to worry about applying for a medical card will help these families in some small way."
According to BreakingNews.ie, founder and CEO of the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation, Jonathan Irwin, has welcomed the news.
“What Simon has done is absolutely brilliant,” he said.
“The only thing that I would ask to be added to it, is that children be recognised in their own right, as an individual person, but Simon Harris has done such a good thing that we have been fighting for for over 20 years and I really take my hat off to him.”
