John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will sanction a selected number of doctor only visits per year by diabetes patients to their general practitioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25315/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Persons and their dependants who would otherwise experience undue hardship in meeting the cost of General Practitioner (GP) services qualify for a medical card, which entitles them to a range of health services free of charge. In 2005, the GP visit card was introduced as a graduated benefit so that people on moderate and lower incomes, particularly parents of young children, who did not qualify for a medical card, would not be deterred on cost grounds from visiting their GP.

In general, eligibility for medical cards and GP visit cards is determined following an examination of the means of the applicant and his/her dependants (income and relevant outgoings). The main exception is persons aged 70 and over, who have an automatic statutory entitlement to a medical card. The GP visit card assessment threshold is 50% higher than the medical card threshold.

I have no plans to provide for the granting of medical cards or GP visit cards to any particular group as a whole. However, 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 general review, a review of the eligibility criteria for medical cards in the context of economic/financial, medical and social need is being undertaken with a view to clarifying entitlement to a medical card, and is expected to be completed by Autumn 2008.