Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In respect of Question No. 23 on the medical card issue, it states in the reply I have received that the Department of Health will develop a policy paper by the end of September 2014 on further phases of providing for a universal GP service. The Minister of State, Deputy White, would know that I would welcome that because I have been pressing for such a programme and a time-frame for the roll-out of access to a free universal GP service. The system may or may not, but it appears that it is leaking like a sieve for a variety of reasons. Some in the media are already speculating today that perhaps the next phase might be the restoration of medical cards to all those over 70 years. Will the Minister comment on whether he expects the policy paper will actually lay out a time frame for the specific roll-out and follow on to the provision of free GP care for all children up to the age of six years?

In respect of the expert panel to examine the range of conditions on the new policy framework for eligibility for health services, I understand from the reply that the process will include legislative requirements as necessary and being in place as early as possible in 2015. Is it the Minister's expectation that legislation will be required and if the expert panel is to be in place as early as 2015, when does he expect it to report to him?