Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of people with medical cards in 2005, 2006, and 2007; the number of people who proved to be ineligible for medical cards for each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8280/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Details of the numbers of medical card holders are provided to my Department each month by the Health Service Executive (HSE). 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 a person's circumstances.

I set out a table for the Deputy showing the number of medical cards at year-end in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

I introduced the GP visit card in 2005 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. The qualification threshold for the GP visit card is 50% above that for a medical card. The most recent figure provided by the HSE to my Department shows 76,094 GP visit card holders as at 1st February, 2008.

As the HSE does not routinely provide my Department with statistics on the number of applicants who prove to be ineligible for medical cards, the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive has been requested to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.