David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This section proposes to exclude rent-a-room relief from the assessment of needs, which I support. I want to make a wider point that I also made in my Second Stage contribution. In my view, there is a need to look at the whole area of medical cards and where we are going from here. There have been some moves, which I recognise and support, in regard to providing additional free GP care for a section of the population but we have not reviewed medical card eligibility for nearly two decades.

The income thresholds are way too low. We can see that ourselves. We all see it in our clinics when people come to us about reviews of medical card entitlements and there are means assessments and so on. I believe it has to be the next phase of how we roll out free healthcare and reduce the cost of healthcare. My question is for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and to her officials here who may have responsibility for this area. Has this been looked at? What assessments have the Department and the HSE done regarding the eligibility criteria and the income thresholds? I asked for a report from the Secretary General of the Department on this issue in advance of our own pre-budget process and when I looked at the qualifying criteria and the income threshold, I was amazed at how low they are. Even somebody on a living wage may not fit into the category. The thresholds are far too low and have not been reviewed in a long time. A medical card is a gateway into primary care services and very important services for people beyond just seeing a GP, and for free medicines as well. I will leave it at that and will simply seek a reply from the Minister of State as to whether the Government has looked at this. Is it something we may see in the next budget, if indeed we get to a next budget? Have the Department and the HSE looked at and examined this?