Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Health, but can I just say that from my own perspective, as Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I am of the view that the rent-a-room scheme is invaluable in light of the challenges we have in the context of accommodation and the pressures that exist. It is also invaluable from the perspective that an elderly person who is living alone could decide to rent out a room under the scheme. Having the company and companionship is important. I spoke to a recently bereaved gentleman who told me that he had taken in a family of two adults and two children from Ukraine. He said that to see clothes hanging on the washing line again gave him such a lift. The rent-a-room scheme is Government policy, so everyone is very supportive of it, but it is really important. It can provide access to income for people who are challenged financially.

As we know, eligibility for a medical card is provided on a statutory basis under the Health Act 1970 and is based primarily on means. As of August this year, there are over 1.5 million medical card holders and in excess of 530,000 GP visit card holders. Therefore, more than 2 million people are availing of support from the State in relation to their health. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is able, without undue hardship, to arrange general practitioner services, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure. The HSE medical card assessment guidelines outline certain incomes that are not included within the medical card assessment process, primarily social welfare payments and some compensation payments deemed not assessable. The focus of the Minister for Health continues to be on ensuring the continued operation of an appropriate and effective medical card system, which aims to provide support and access to health services when needed. If an applicant's income is above the limit for a medical card or GP visit card, they may still qualify for a discretionary card. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness.Social and medical issues are also considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing a general practitioner or other medical services, which deals with people who have access to a medical or GP-only card.

On the Senator’s specific question, my understanding is that current rent-a-room tax relief allows people to earn up to €14,000 per year tax free if renting out a room or rooms in their home to private tenants. As we have said, this was also a call-out from the Minister, Deputy Harris, to students who are finding it difficult to access accommodation. Income from the rent-a-room scheme is not currently exempted from the medical card assessment process, as the Senator noted. A proposal to exclude income derived from the rent-a-room scheme from the medical card assessment process needs to be reviewed in detail to determine and consider the range of policy, legislative, operational and financial implications involved.

I assure the Senator the Minister for Health endeavours to ensure that the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs. The Department of Health keeps medical card issues, including the current medical card income thresholds, under review and any proposals are considered in the context of any potential broader implications for Government policy, the annual budgetary Estimates process and legislative requirements arising.