At a council meeting last week, Councillor Angie Baily highlighted the “outdated” rules for those aged under 25 as well as the lack of cover for those diagnosed with unrecognised illnesses.

Currently, people under 25 are assessed for a medical card based on the income of their parents, rather than their own, making it more likely for them not to qualify.

Cllr Baily advocate for the rules to be changed so that anyone aged 18 or over would be assessed based on their own income instead.

“Right across Irish society, young adults are treated as independent, capable decision-makers,” said Cllr Baily.

“At 18 a person can vote, sign contracts, buy a home, take out a mortgage, start a business, work full-time, and travel the world without consent…at 17 they can even enlist in the Defence Forces.

“This system creates barriers to essential healthcare at a time when young adults are statistically more likely to experience mental-health challenges, financial precarity, and insecure housing.

“It is unreasonable to expect a 19-year-old living alone, or a 22-year-old supporting a child, to have their medical needs judged on the income of parents who may not be contributing to their wellbeing or financial security in any way.”

Discretionary media cards can also be provided for those who fail the means test, allowing the same access to services as a regular card. As part of the application process, evidence of medical expenses must also be provided.

However, Cllr Baily believes they are “not a solution” and said they place emphasis on “how the card is used” rather than the “entitlement or dignity” of the applicant.

“The term ‘discretionary’ itself implies uncertainty, inconsistency, and subjectivity,” she said.

“If you carry a discretionary bus ticket, you risk getting thrown off the bus or left behind if the bus is full. A discretionary medical card asks vulnerable young adults to appeal, to justify, to beg when no other area of life asks them to do this.

“To make matters worse this is at a time when life has already thrown everything, sometimes life limiting illness, at them. A time when they are at their most vulnerable, when their young lives, just starting, seem to be thrown into the abyss of the unknown.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme