Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

As people get richer it may well be that fewer qualify. The unemployment rate was 11.5% in 1997 and is now down to over 4%. This year we increased the threshold for the traditional medical card by 7.5% which is twice the rate of inflation. The income guidelines are way out. We have used the best data available which is the Revenue Commissioners' figures. Clearly people's incomes are much higher than the increases provided for. That is the reason we are looking at this matter. I am determined that the 30,000 extra medical cards will be issued and that we reach the 200,000 GP only visit cards target. We need to move to a position where disposable income is taken into account. For example, child care costs should be allowable when calculating a person's income for the purpose of receiving a medical card. It is a complicated system in that it allows so much for travel, mortgage or rent. Obviously I want to focus on families with children. It leads to much confusion and makes the data less applicable than it might otherwise be. For next year I would like to move towards a disposable income position and if we can do it for the remainder of this year I would welcome it. We have the €60 million for that purpose and I am determined it will be spent on providing access to lower income families, particularly those with children, to general practitioner or services at that level. If we have to revise the income guidelines because people's incomes have risen faster than anticipated that is what we will do.

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