Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the estimated cost of the extension of the full medical card to all persons under 18 years. [34651/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the estimated cost of the extension of the general practitioner only medical card to all persons under 18 years. [34652/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the estimated annual cost per recipient of the medical card. [34653/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the estimated annual cost per recipient of the general practitioner only medical card. [34654/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 to 109, inclusive, together.

In order to provide the Deputy with the estimates of cost requested, it is necessary to obtain detailed current cost information from the Health Service Executive (HSE). My Department has requested the relevant information from the HSE and on receipt of this will be in a position to prepare the cost estimates sought and to provide them to the Deputy.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons with full medical cards; and the comparable numbers for 1992, 1997 and 2002. [34655/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons with general practitioner only medical cards. [34656/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 111 together.

Details of the numbers of medical card and GP visit card holders are provided to my Department each month by the Health Service Executive. The figures are provided on a net basis showing the balance after new cards have been issued and other cards, as appropriate, have been deleted from the Executive's database, e.g. following a review of holders' circumstances.

The most recent figures provided to my Department by the HSE show that as at 1st December 2007 there were 1,279,026 persons with a medical card. Therefore, between January 2005 and December 2007 a net additional 133,943 people have qualified for a medical card. As at 1st December 2007, 75,542 persons held a GP visit card. Thus since January 2005, an additional 209,485 people have free access to GP services.

The table shows the number of medical cards according to the health boards' databases on the dates specified by the Deputy. In 1992 and 1997 medical card figures were reported to my Department on a quarterly basis.

The HSE (and before 2005 the health boards) has undertaken a substantial programme of work in recent years to improve data quality of the GMS client database. For example, in 2003 and 2004, work carried out by the health boards led to deletion of approximately 104,000 inappropriate entries where, for example, there were duplicate entries for the same person, the expiry date on the card had passed, or the person had moved away or was deceased. This exercise did not involve any reduction in the actual number of persons who held medical cards but rather resulted in a more accurate picture of the number of individuals in receipt of GP services under the GMS Scheme.