This article is from page 4 of the 2013-11-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
CLONLARA woman Noreen Keane, says she is “shocked and disappointed” following comments made by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny (FG), in the Dáil last week. The Fine Gael leader denied ever agreeing to meet with Noreen, whose son Ronan suffers from down syndrome and whose discretionary medical card has been taken from him earlier this year.
Noreen and her son Ronan, staged a protest outside a Fine Gael event attended by the Taoiseach in Limerick last month. At that meeting Fine Gael officials told the Clonlara woman that she would be granted a meeting with Enda Kenny.
However, responding to questions from Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin in the Dáil last week, Deputy Kenny denied agreeing to a meeting. Both Noreen and Ronan took part in a protest walk in Dublin on Saturday to highlight the loss of Ronan’s medical card.
“You [Micheál Martin] mentioned that political gathering that the Fine Gael party had down in Limerick. Nobody told me that the person involved wanted to meet me. I spoke to several people on the way in there. That is not the issue. The issue is, you were right to ask a question about two children and a walk that is taking place about the loss of their discretionary medical card,” said An Taoiseach.
“There is no change in the policy. Nobody is entitled to a medical card automatically. Issues like income and discretion come in after that.”
Deputy Kenny was responding to a question raised by Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin regarding Clonlara boy Ronan Woodhouse and Cork girl Katie Connolly, who also took part in the walk.
“In relation to this specific case. They [Ronan and Noreen] were offered a long-term illness card but many of the conditions don’t qualify under a long-term illness card. If you, or someone else met these people you could sort this out,” said Deputy Martin.
“The reality is that there has been a change of policy. My people cant understand you getting up here every day and saying that there has not been a change of policy.”