Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will review the anomaly created when a person who has an artificial limb, who is in receipt of the disability allowance and who can work in rehabilitative employment for up to 20 hours per week under the scheme, could lose their medical card entitlement as a result of participation in this scheme and would then be liable to pay for a replacement prosthesis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22787/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In accordance with the Health Service Executive's Medical Card / GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines, persons in receipt of the following allowances/benefits for a period of 12 months or more can retain their medical card for a period of three years from the date of taking up full-time employment: Job Seekers Allowance; Job Seekers Benefit; One Parent Family Payment; Illness Benefit; Disability Allowance; Blind Pension; Employment Incentive Schemes or Educational Opportunity Schemes. Such persons taking up part-time employment can retain their medical card for a period of three years from the date their income exceeds the relevant medical card guideline figure.

Persons participating on the following Government Schemes retain eligibility for a medical card for the duration of the scheme: Back to Work Allowance; Back to Work Enterprise Allowance; Back to Education Allowance; Revenue Job Assist; Community Employment; VTOS; Job Initiative; Rural Social Scheme; Education, Training and Development Option; Community Services Programme; Part-time Job Incentive; Part-time education Option; FÁS (Non-craft courses); Youthreach; Local Employment Services Courses; Fáilte and Teagasc Courses; Wage Subsidy Scheme. A person moving from one scheme to another will retain eligibility to a medical card as long as they remain on one of the above schemes.

Adult and child dependants of persons who retain their medical card either through receipt of specified allowances/benefits or participation on the above Government Schemes are also eligible for a medical card. The Programme for Government commits to allowing people with disabilities to work without losing key essential medical card cover after 3 years. My Department is at present considering the most appropriate approach to the implementation of this commitment.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason persons on the medical card scheme, over the age of 70, who are officially entitled to four free chiropody treatments per year are being charged for part of the cost as in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 2; the action being taken to resolve this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22789/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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There is no statutory obligation on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to provide chiropody services to GMS patients; 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. I understand that priority is usually given to certain groups of people, including people who are medical card holders aged 65 years and over. In several regions the service is provided by private chiropodists by arrangement with the HSE.

I consider that it is inappropriate for private chiropodists who are providing services on behalf of the HSE to charge patients a top-up fee, and I have conveyed this view formally to the HSE. My Department requested the HSE to review the fee arrangements in place for the provision of chiropody services, with a view to ensuring that such additional fees will no longer be levied on persons in receipt of this service.

I have been advised by the HSE that it will shortly be in a position to contact chiropodists offering them contracts to provide services and advising them of the revised fees payable for such services. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the Deputy advised when this has been accomplished.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a decision will be expedited in respect of a recent medical card application for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6W; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22808/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Health Service Executive has the operational and funding responsibility for the medical card benefit, 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.