Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

It is true that somebody in those circumstances, depending on their outgoings, can qualify for a medical card. For example, the basic income is €266.50 per week with a child dependant allowance of €76, child care expenses of €220, housing or mortgage payments of €190 and travel to work of €50. We gave a number of examples last week and published the data. The whole purpose is not to have a percentage of the population on medical cards but to try to ensure whatever resources are available are targeted at those who need them most.

Incomes have risen very sharply in this economy in recent years. In fact, official data are way behind what is happening in the real economy. Although 150,000 new medical cards have been issued this year to date, there was not an additional net 30,000 because many people fell out of the net due to income or otherwise.

The doctor only medical card is an initiative to have a graduated level of benefit. By providing doctor only medical cards, it allowed us to give the card to four times more people than if we stayed with the traditional medical card. I have always been a fan of graduated benefits. It means that families on low enough incomes and, in some cases, on modest gross incomes, depending on their outgoings, will not be afraid to go to the doctor because of the resource implications. In fact, the Deputy advocated such a proposal previously. Many general practitioners felt this would be a good idea, which I believe it will be.

There is no intention to substitute the traditional card with the doctor only card. We want to maintain the current regime where those on the lowest incomes, social welfare recipients, those over 70 years of age and people with particular difficulties get the full medical card and where the next layer, depending on income and particular circumstances, will get the doctor only medical card.

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