Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 215: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if non-EU national students who are resident for more than a year here are eligible to apply for a medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47857/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Under the Health Act, 2004, determination of eligibility for Medical Cards is the responsibility of the HSE. Medical Cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the HSE, are unable to provide general practitioner, medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants without undue hardship.

Entitlement to health services in Ireland is primarily based on residency and means rather than nationality or citizenship. Any person, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility or limited eligibility for health services. The HSE normally regards a person as "ordinarily resident" in Ireland if he/she satisfies the HSE that it is his/her intention to remain in Ireland for a minimum period of one year. The HSE would regard a non-EU national student as ordinarily resident in Ireland if he/she is attending a registered course of study of at least one academic year's duration.