Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the findings in a report published in October 2007 by the Women's Health Council and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service entitled Women, Debt and Health which indicates that seven out of ten women who have debt problems have related health problems; if she will implement the recommendations of the report that refer to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24010/07]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is strongly committed to implementing a range of measures aimed at tackling and reducing health inequalities. Social inclusion-relevant aspects of existing health strategies and plans feature in the new social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, published in June 2006 and in Ireland's National Report on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion (NSSPI) 2006-2008, submitted to the EU in September 2006. The health commitments in both these documents are further developed in Ireland's new National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, Building an Inclusive Society (NAPinclusion) 2007-2016, published in February 2007.

The NAP inclusion details a number of health commitments aimed at tackling and reducing health inequalities and improving the health status of the more vulnerable members of our society. For example, the NAPinclusion includes the following high level goal aimed at improving access to health services for those on low incomes: Develop 500 primary care teams by 2011 which will improve access to services in the community, with particular emphasis on meeting the needs of holders of medical cards (i.e. those on low incomes and those over 70 years of age). Other significant health commitments in the NAPinclusion 2007-2016 relevant to addressing health inequalities and improving health status include:

Development of specific community and sectoral initiatives to encourage healthy eating and access to healthy food and physical activity among adults, with a particular emphasis on adults living in areas of disadvantage;

Monitoring inequalities in cancer risks, cancer occurrence, cancer services and cancer outcomes to maintain a policy focus on cancer inequalities;

Taking account of the strong body of evidence linking poverty and poor mental health, there will be two general adult community mental health teams per 100,000 of the population by 2013.

With specific regard to the report's recommendation on awareness and access to medical and GP visit cards, the Programme for Government commits to the following:

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

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;

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.

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.