Varadkar: Politicians 'go through the motions' when lobbying for medical cards
Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said that there is no point in the public asking politicians for help obtaining medical cards.
Minister Varadkar says decisions to grant medical cards always follow the rules - and politicians cannot change that.
He was responding to reports that Government TDs contacted the HSE 21,000 times in the last year, lobbying for medical cards for constituents.
Minister Varadkar said that it is a waste of politicians' time, but he understands why they do it anyway.
"If they don't go through the motions of making representations … their constituent then believes that they don't care, and that isn't the case," he said.
"So it is one of those areas where it is very difficult for politicians, but it is absolutely the case that the HSE determines medical card eligibility on the rules and representations from politicians rarely make a difference, and really, should never make a difference."
