Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of those over 70 years who on the basis of current calculations are expected to lose their eligibility for a full medical card; the basis on which this calculation has been reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45561/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Following the Government decision to withdraw automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons aged 70 and over and to raise the means assessment threshold for persons in that age cohort, it is estimated that approximately 5% (20,000) of the current medical card holders aged 70 and over will no longer qualify for a medical card.

The estimated 5% figure of persons aged 70 and over, who will lose automatic entitlement to a medical card, was based on the best available information from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the EU wide survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), which is conducted by the CSO to obtain information on the income and living conditions of different types of households. These EU-SILC tables have been made available to Opposition parties.