Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21821/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this case investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that chiropody services are not available to medical card holders in County Waterford; if the legislation being prepared by her Department to clarify and update existing legislation on eligibility for health and personal social services will define specific eligibility of medical card holders for chiropody services; when that legislation will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21822/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I would like to bring to the Deputy's attention the fact that there is no statutory obligation on the Health Service Executive to provide chiropody services to medical card holders. However, in practice, arrangements have been made in several regions to provide these services. Before the establishment of the HSE the nature of any arrangements for community chiropody services and the level of service provided were a matter for individual health boards and so a degree of variation in practice developed over time.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department is currently preparing legislation to provide for clear statutory provisions on eligibility for health and personal social services. The aim is to produce a clear set of statutory provisions that ensure equity and transparency and to bring the system up to date with developments in service delivery and technology that have occurred since the Health Act 1970. The legislation will define specific health and personal social services more clearly; set out who should be eligible for what services, as well as criteria for eligibility; establish when and in what circumstances charges may be made and provide for an appeals framework. My Department is currently examining the range of services that will be defined in legislation. It is expected that proposals will be brought to Government during 2008.