Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the date when the medical card guidelines which allowed eligibility to be determined with reference to child care costs first became effective; if they are yet effective; the way the Health Service Executive operates such a scheme if, as confirmed by letter from the Health Service Executive in response to Parliamentary Question No. 77 of 13 October 2005, the national assessment guidelines for staff are not yet issued. [31268/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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On 23 June 2005 I announced a number of improvements to the way in which people's income would be assessed for the purposes of medical card eligibility. I indicated that henceforth assessments would be made on the basis of applicants' disposable income, after deduction of income tax and social insurance contributions, and that reasonable expenses for house mortgage or rental payments, child care and travel to work costs would be allowed. These changes became operative from the date of their announcement.

I understand that the HSE's letter to the Deputy dated 14 October 2005 refers to the draft national assessment guidelines for staff. I further understand that this is an operational manual being developed by the HSE under the national schemes modernisation project and that it will formally codify at a national level the system for assessing medical card and GP visit card applications. It will not involve any change to the income guidelines. Applications for medical cards and GP visit cards are being processed in line with the revised assessment arrangements.