Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 216: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that general practitioners have been stopped from using patients' PPS numbers as a means to identify same; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that general practitioners have called for a change in legislation to allow PPS numbers be used as unique patient identifiers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3044/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The personal public service number is used by the Health Service Executive as a unique identifier for people who are entitled to publicly provided general practitioner services under the General Medical Services, GMS, scheme. The unique identifier appears on patients' medical cards, which they are required to produce when availing of services from their GMS general practitioner.

The development of a unique patient identifier will be considered in the context of a public service wide approach to the development and use of unique identifiers. Proposals for the development of policy in this area will include discussion with the health sector. The objective will be to develop a legislative basis that will underpin the use of unique identifiers.