John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 725 of 31 January 2007, if she will insist on the medical card being issued to the applicant based on their medical circumstances and need for the card; if she will impose a time frame on the appeals section within which it is expected that these appeals should be dealt with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9062/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The assessment of eligibility to medical cards is statutorily a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE) and is determined following an examination of the means of the applicant and his/her dependants. Under Section 45 of the Health 1970 medical cards are provided for persons who, in the opinion of the HSE, are unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants. Section 58 of the Health Act, 1970, as amended, provides for GP visit cards for adult persons with limited eligibility for whom, in the opinion of the HSE, and notwithstanding that they do not qualify for a medical card, it would be unduly burdensome to arrange GP medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants. Persons aged 70 and over are statutorily entitled to a medical card, regardless of income. In all other cases an assessment of means is undertaken.

In assessing eligibility, the HSE use guidelines based on people's means, which includes their income, certain allowable outgoings and the effect of other factors which may impact on people's ability to meet the cost of GP services.

I am informed by the HSE that a communication issued to the Deputy on 28th February, 2007 regarding this particular case, and indicating that a decision would be issued to the applicant shortly.

Work is ongoing in my Department on a new legislative framework to provide for clear statutory provisions on eligibility and entitlement for health and personal social services. The aim is to produce a clear set of statutory provisions that ensure equity and transparency and to bring the system up to date with developments in service delivery and technology that have occurred since the Health Act, 1970.