Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of children and young people under 18 years covered by the full medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28338/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that the number of children and young people under 18 years currently covered by the medical card is 315,505.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the cost of implementing the commitments on medical cards for children and young people as made in the Programme for Government to double the income limit eligibility for parents of children under six years of age and treble them for parents of children under 18 years of age with an intellectual disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28339/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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.

In conjunction with the development of a new legislative framework to provide for clear statutory provisions on eligibility for health and personal social services, my Department is reviewing the assessment criteria in the context of financial, medical and social need in line with the commitment in Towards 2016. A Steering Group has been established which is expected to complete this work in autumn 2008. It is my intention to then consider how best to progress the commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to medical card eligibility including the cost implications.