Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 75: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will introduce a statutory scheme for the provision of chiropody services under the medical card. [5608/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for chiropody services. The provision of chiropody services is a matter for the local areas of the HSE. There is no statutory obligation to provide these services; but nationally, a variety of arrangements are in place for the provision of chiropody services; however, there are no plans presently to introduce a statutory scheme. It was discovered that chiropodists in the former ERHA area were imposing additional charges for their services on medical card holders. My Department informed the authority that it was inappropriate to impose such charges and it recently wrote to the HSE with a view to getting an early resolution to this matter.