Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 185: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if it is anticipated at any stage to change the current medical card assessment for persons with disabilities (details supplied). [23858/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The determination of eligibility of applicants for a medical card is statutorily vested in the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, the HSE is responsible for deciding on the frequency of reviews of eligibility of medical card holders. Reviews are necessary to ensure medical card databases are accurate, up to date and satisfy public accountability obligations.

A working group was set up by the former Health Board Executive Group, HeBe, to modernise schemes, including the medical card scheme. This group continues under the HSE and its aim is to make the schemes more easily accessible. The frequency of reviews is one of the topics being considered.