Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether it is equitable that the medical card income limit in respect of a single person living either alone or with a family is considerably less than the lowest rate of social welfare payment; if she will take steps to remedy this anomaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15007/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In recent years there have been significant improvements to the way in which people's eligibility for medical cards and GP visit cards is assessed. Assessment is based on a person's and, where relevant, his/her spouse's income after tax and PRSI, and takes account of reasonable expenses incurred in respect of rent or mortgage payments, childcare and travel to work. In June 2006, I increased the qualification threshold for the GP visit card to 50% above that for a medical card. Furthermore, under the assessment guidelines, persons whose weekly incomes are derived solely from Department of Social and Family Affairs payments or HSE payments, even if these exceed the stated threshold, qualify for a medical card. The Programme for Government commits to the following:

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

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.

My Department is currently reviewing all legislation relating to eligibility for health and personal social services with a view to making the system as fair and transparent as possible. As part of this exercise, a review of the assessment criteria for medical cards in the context of financial, medical and social need is being undertaken and is expected to be completed by autumn 2008. When that review is completed, it is my intention to consider how best to progress the commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to medical card eligibility.