John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

That is the commitment we have made.

There are no plans to close any of the local health offices that currently process medical card and GP visit card applications. However, the process will involve a reassignment of existing staff within the Health Service Executive. Local health offices will continue to provide advice and necessary supports to persons applying for medical cards and GP visit cards. They will also deal with queries of a general nature about the medical card scheme. Together with the Health Service Executive's national helpline, they will handle inquiries from clients in respect of their medical card and GP visit card entitlements.

This is a good example of the type of innovation signalled in the transforming public services programme announced by the Taoiseach last November. It demonstrates how the Health Service Executive can deliver improved services within the more limited resources available in a way which meets the needs of citizens in a modern society. The number of persons with a medical card has increased by more than 240,000 since the start of 2005, with more than 1.38 million now covered. In addition, more than 88,000 have a GP visit card. In other words, in excess of 33% of the national population is covered by the General Medical Services scheme.

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