Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Details of these measures will be announced by my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children.

Medical Card Eligibility

The question of medical cards for vulnerable families is a priority for the Government. The programme for Government contains a commitment to double the income eligibility limit for parents of children less than six years of age and to treble it for parents of children with an intellectual disability less than 18 years of age. At present, the Department of Health and Children is carrying out a data collection exercise and review of the eligibility criteria for medical cards, which are expected to be completed by autumn next year.

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