Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will indicate the number of persons aged over 70 years who are estimated to be in excess of the permitted income and capital guidelines for the retention of medical cards; if she will indicate the number of such persons who surrendered their medical card when the letter of request went out to them; if it is expected that income reviews will see further numbers in this age category lose their medical cards; and the number of income reviews in respect of people over the age of 70 that have resulted in the withdrawal of their medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36845/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Most recent figures supplied by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to my Department show 343,399 medical card holders aged 70 or over as at 1st September 2010.

When the Government took the decision to remove automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons aged 70 or over, it had been estimated that 20,000 persons would lose eligibility to the medical card under this measure.

Following the enactment of the Health Act 2008, the HSE wrote to all medical card holders aged 70 or over in January 2009 advising them to complete a return slip if they were over the threshold for a medical card. Approximately, 12,000 clients responded and their cards were removed from the Executive's medical card register. In addition, approximately 5,000 medical cards for persons aged 70 or over were removed from the medical card register in 2009 as part of the HSE's medical card data quality exercise.

Any person aged 70 or over who qualifies for a medical card on the basis of their gross income being within the gross income thresholds of €700 per week for a single person and €1,400 for a couple, will continue to retain their medical card, unless their circumstances change to bring their income above the thresholds.

The other information sought by the Deputy is not provided to my Department as a matter of routine. Accordingly, the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive has been requested to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to this matter.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) will be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36857/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) will be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36858/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.