Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of people whose medical cards were replaced with general practitioner visit cards since December 2006 with a breakdown of this information on a Health Service Executive regional basis in tabular form. [24712/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Medical cards are made available to persons and their dependants who would otherwise experience undue hardship in meeting the cost of General Practitioner (GP) services. In 2005 the GP visit card was introduced as a graduated benefit so that people on moderate and lower incomes, particularly parents of young children, who do not qualify for a medical card would not be deterred on cost grounds from visiting their GP.

As the Health Service Executive has the operational and funding responsibility for these benefits, it is the appropriate body to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.