The Health Service Executive has said that it hopes to clear a backlog of 31,456 medical card applications by the end of April.
The commitment follows a two-hour visit by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children to the HSE's central processing office in Finglas in Dublin.
The HSE said that people waiting to get their card renewed can use their old cards while waiting.
It also said that GPs can now prolong the entitlement of vulnerable medical card holders who are going through the renewal process.
Terminally ill patients are also automatically entitled to a medical card, irrespective of their means.
Today's visit follows severe criticism over delays in processing applications, renewals and claims that some documents submitted by patients have been lost.
Committee chairman Jerry Buttimer said that some people have waited up to nine months for their medical card.
The group wanted to see the processing system at first-hand.
Director of the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service Paddy Burke welcomed the committee's visit.
Mr Burke said: "The visit allowed an opportunity to highlight the steps we are now taking to further streamline the process for applicants."
The HSE recently deployed an extra 20 staff to the office, which now has 150 staff.
Minister of State Roisin Shorthall, who has responsibility for the area, said last week that people waiting to get their card renewed can use their old cards while waiting.
The centralised processing system was introduced last year by the HSE to make the system more efficient.
