HSE Halts Plastic Medical Card Issuance Following Third-Party Cyber-Attack The Health Service Executive (HSE) has temporarily suspended the production of plastic medical cards, European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC), GP visit cards, drugs payment scheme cards, and long-term illness cards after a cyber-attack targeted an external card-printing provider. While the HSE’s own systems remained uncompromised, a limited number of records were accessed during the incident. The HSE confirmed the breach to Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner and is collaborating with the affected provider to assess the scope of the exposed data. A decision on notifying impacted individuals is pending further review. To minimize disruption, applicants will receive letters confirming their eligibility for schemes, which can serve as proof of entitlement. For EHIC cards, provisional replacement certificates are being issued, while digital versions for adults remain available via the HSE Health App. The HSE emphasized that healthcare access remains unaffected, as service providers including GPs and pharmacies verify eligibility through digital channels. The HSE activated its cybersecurity protocols immediately upon notification by the external provider, reaffirming its commitment to handling data breaches in line with legal and internal policies. The incident was first reported by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.