Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Section 3 deals with the eligibility criteria. "Ordinarily resident in the State" is the phrase used for someone under the age of six years. I ask the Minister of State to look at linking the Department's system with the child benefit system, as well as the database of the Department of Education and Skills and the early childhood care and education, ECCE, database in order that one would have an accurate record of who was resident in the State and we would not end up paying for medical cards for children not normally resident in the State. There should be feedback between the four systems to ensure that if a medical card is not issued for a child under the age of six years because he or she is not ordinarily resident in the State, child benefit is not being paid for him or her. There are databases in the Department of Education and Skill and as part of the ECCE scheme which are effective and if the Department had access to them, there would be less chance of failure in the alignment between the systems. It might require an amendment to the Bill to access that information, but I ask the Minister of State to consider it prior to Report Stage to ensure we will not issue cards for children who are not resident in the State or do not exist.