Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on widening the availability of medical cards in view of the return to the Exchequer of nearly €23 million assigned to that budget for 2006, according to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24003/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Expenditure on the General Medical Services Scheme is funded from the Health Service Executive's (HSE) revenue budget. The final out-turn on Vote expenditure for the Health Service Executive, in 2006, shows a capital saving of €114m of which €42m was used to offset a revenue overspend across the HSE's activities as a whole and a further €47m was used to offset a shortfall in Appropriations-in-Aid. This left a balance of €25m to be surrendered to the Exchequer. The Health Service Executive's Appropriation Account for 2006 shows an overall surrender of €365m, €25m capital and €340m in respect of the Long Stay Repayment Scheme.

The Programme for Government commits to the following:

Indexing the income thresholds for medical cards to increases in the average industrial wage;

Doubling of the income limit eligibility of parents of children under 6 years of age, and trebling them for parents of children under 18 years of age with an intellectual disability;

Allowing people with disabilities to work without losing key essential medical card cover after 3 years;

Implementation of an annual publicity campaign and making applications easier so as to increase uptake amongst those who are eligible for Medical Cards and GP Visit Cards.

My Department is at present considering the steps required to enable these commitments to be implemented. My Department is also examining the steps necessary to give effect to the Towards 2016 commitment to review the eligibility criteria for the assessment of medical cards in the context of medical, social and economic/financial need with a view to clarifying entitlement to a medical card.