Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a couple, both over 70 years, who have savings of slightly more than €70,000 will lose their entitlement to their medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40591/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Government recently announced the withdrawal of automatic entitlement to the medical card from people aged 70 years and over and the introduction of new income thresholds for entitlement to a medical card for those aged 70 and over of €700 (gross) per week for a single person and €1,400 (gross) per week for a couple with effect from 1st January, 2009.

As part of the means test, any savings up to €36,000 (single)/€72,000 (couple) will be disregarded and only interest from savings above these figures will be considered as income for means testing purposes. Where a person's means are in excess of the income thresholds, the HSE may issue a medical card on a discretionary basis, if the applicant would otherwise be caused undue hardship in providing general medical and surgical services for himself/herself and any dependants.