Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The estimate at the time was that it would cost €15 million. As we know, that estimate was inaccurate because the numbers on which it was based were wrong.

To those who say that more than 5% of those over 70 will be disqualified, the Central Statistics Office has given the Department data on the number of people over 70. It is interesting to note that there are 10,000 fewer people over 70 than the current number holding the medical card. That is probably because people have passed away who are still factored into the equation. The Revenue Commissioners tell me that 57,000 people in Ireland over the age of 65 pay tax, approximately 18,000 of whom pay at the higher rate. The numbers decline very rapidly once one gets to people aged 70 and over, although to be fair to the Revenue Commissioners, they cannot distinguish between people aged 65 and 70.

No additional staff will be recruited to administer the means test, which we are trying to simplify. The means test for a card runs to eight or nine pages. I often help people in my constituency clinic to fill out the form and I have told the Health Service Executive that it must be simplified. It is an extremely long and complicated form. Indeed, means test forms should be simplified for everybody, but particularly for older people. We have made provision to repay people for nursing home charges. A total of 75,000 people or their estates qualified for reimbursement but 40,000 older people did not apply to get their money back. It is not that they were not aware of their entitlement. Many said that they did not want the money back because they received good care. We are dealing here with a group of citizens who are extremely honest and, therefore, a very simple form of assessment will be required.

I am also anxious to ensure that if a person qualifies for a medical card as part of a couple and his or her partner subsequently passes away, that person does not lose the medical card.