The HSE pauses issuing several types of plastic cards after a cyber-attack, according to reports including the Irish Independent and RTE. The affected card categories include plastic medical cards, European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC), GP visit cards, and cards linked to the drugs payment scheme. The pause also covers long-term illness cards. The HSE action is aimed at preventing further disruption while the organisation responds to the incident and assesses its systems. The reports state that the card-issuing process is halted, which may delay access to services or entitlements that rely on the physical cards. No specific details about the origin of the cyber-attack or the extent of any data compromise are provided in the available accounts. Both outlets describe the pause as a direct consequence of the cyber incident affecting card issuance and related administrative processes.