Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of EU nationals resident here who are automatically entitled to a medical card irrespective of age or means, pursuant to Regulation (EC) 1408/71; and if she will provide a breakdown of the member states of origin of such medical card holders. [35790/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Regulation (EC) 1408/71 deals with the coordination of social security, including health care, for those moving within the European Union. Under its provisions, persons residing in Ireland who are attached to the social security system of another member state are entitled to receive health care services in Ireland at the cost of the member state with which they are affiliated. This is in accordance with Annex VI of the Regulation (text relating to Ireland) which states that such persons "are entitled free of charge to all medical treatment provided for by Irish legislation where the cost of this treatment is payable by the institution of a Member State other than Ireland." Such persons receive a medical card as evidence of their entitlement, although this is not based on national legislation.

Such persons include those who are residing in Ireland but employed in another member state; the dependant family members residing in Ireland of people employed in another member state; and pensioners of another member state residing in Ireland who are not also Irish pensioners or employed in Ireland, and their dependants.

In regard to the number of such pensioners residing in Ireland, the most recent statistics provided to my Department indicate that, in 2006, of the 110,000 pensioners resident in Ireland in receipt of a contributory pension from the UK, approximately 51,000 were entitled to hold a medical card under the provisions of the Regulation. In regard to other persons holding medical cards by virtue of their entitlement under the Regulation, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Health Service Executive to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issue directly to the Deputy.