Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way a person (details supplied) who is suffering from chronic illness and has been in receipt of a medical card for the past four years has been denied a medical card this year despite no increase in the household income; the way it can be the case that on appealing this they have been informed that the appeal could take four or five months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13441/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The person (details supplied) was refused a medical card as their means were in excess of the national income guidelines for such cards. However, their means were within the income guidelines for a GP visit card, and a GP visit card was granted. The person appealed the decision not to grant a medical card. During the appeal process the person retained their medical card. The person supplied additional information to the HSE for the appeal process and the result of the appeal was that a medical card was granted on grounds of "undue hardship". The HSE informs me that the length of time an appeal takes can vary for each appeals office. The HSE was unable to provide an average waiting time as this data is not collected.