Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the requirement that medical card holders would have to pay for medical certification of fitness to drive was introduced; and if an exemption from this charge will be extended to medical card holders. [4214/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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General practitioners who hold contracts under the general medical service scheme with the Health Service Executive undertake to provide a range of services to medical card patients. The contract was agreed in 1989. Paragraph 11 of the GMS contract requires that first and last certificates which are required to explain work absence should be provided free of charge to medical card holders, but also states that the payments made to GPs under the contract do not include certain other certificates required, such as under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences.