Medical cards removed under a controversial HSE review are to be returned within weeks.
Ministers have signed off on a major U-turn which will see an estimated 15,000 people given back services taken away from them.
The government's admitted that the controversial review of discretionary medical cards resulted in "unintended consequences".
The government says its decision will mean the "expeditious" return of both discretionary medical cards AND GP visit cards removed in the past.
In a statement it says the review of discretionary medical cards ordered as part of the last budget had "unintended consequences" which it could not stand over.
The U-turn extends not only to people who have lost their medical cards this year, but all people who have lost the cards in any reviews dating back to July 2011.
This means that although 1,200 medical cards were removed in this year's review, an estimated 15,000 people with serious conditions will be given back the services which were previously taken away from them.
The head of the HSE says the decision will allow medical cards be returned to people with an acute or lifelong medical condition.
Ministers say the decision forms part of the move towards universal primary care - where everyone is covered for the services they need.
Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reports
