Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 273: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a child (details supplied) in County Kildare suffering from dyspraxia is entitled to a medical card in their own right; the criteria laid down as Government policy as to the criteria a child must adhere to in order that they would be entitled to a medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31344/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The assessment of eligibility to medical cards is statutorily a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE) and, with the exception of persons aged over 70 who have an automatic entitlement to a medical card, is determined following an examination of the means of the applicant and his/her dependants. Under Section 45 of the Health Act, 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.

This provision also entitles qualifying dependants to avail of a medical card. The HSE may also grant a person full eligibility for a particular service, where the person would be unable, without undue hardship, to provide that service for themselves or their dependants.

In assessing an application for a medical card on behalf of a child, the HSE uses guidelines based on the means of the child's parent(s)/ guardian(s), which includes their income, certain allowable outgoings and the effect of other factors which may impact on their ability to meet the cost of GP services. Under the assessment arrangements, income derived solely from Department of Social and Family Affairs payments or HSE payments is disregarded, even if these exceed the assessment guideline limits.

As the Health Service Executive has the operational and funding responsibility for these benefits, it is the appropriate body to consider the particular case raised by the Deputy. My Department has therefore requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.