Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Question 5: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that bereaved pensioners over 70 years who automatically qualified for the medical card prior to the enactment of the Health Act 2008 and whose spouses died prior to 1 January 2009 will not benefit from the exemption which allows a medical card to be retained for a three-year period following the death of a spouse where their income exceeds €700 per week and is below €1,400 per week and that the three-year concession only applies to those bereaved as and from 1 January 2009 which adversely affects those bereaved in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008; if she will take action to amend this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6473/09]

See this speech in context