Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in issuing a response as promised in Parliamentary Question No. 153 of 13 October 2009. [45820/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to instruct the Health Service Executive to remove the age cut off points in access to health care services which result in inequities in older people's access to services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45833/09]

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Services for Older People provided by the Health Service Executive are targeted at those over 65 years of age. However, the Executive has flexibility to administer such services as appropriate in certain cases for those approaching this cohort. The continuation of existing services, such as Acute Hospital, Disability Services or Mental Health provision, for those approaching the Older Person's programme, is a matter for the HSE taking account of issues such as eligibility, individual needs, professional opinion, and service options. The Deputy will appreciate that the health service has, by its nature, to be administered along broad operational lines. Every effort is made to meet the needs of the individual from the appropriate service source.

In relation to eligibility legislation, there is currently no provision within the current eligibility framework (with the exception of Child Health Services under Section 66 of the Health Act 1970 which provides for a health examination and treatment services for children of primary school going age) which seeks to differentiate between different care groups on the basis of age. Eligibility for health services in Ireland is subject only to being ordinarily resident in the State. There are two categories of eligibility for public health services. These are Category I (Medical Card holders) and Category II (the remainder of the population). To qualify for Category I eligibility a person is required to undergo a means test. The remainder of the population will have Category II eligibility subject only to the ordinary residence criterion. Accordingly, there are no plans to instruct the HSE as proposed by the Deputy.