Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 884: To ask the Minister for Health if he will reply to a matter (details supplied) regarding the medical card system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23078/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The Irish Health System provides for two categories of eligibility for all persons ordinarily resident in the country, i.e. full eligibility and limited eligibility. Full eligibility is determined mainly by reference to income limits and is granted to persons who, in the opinion of the Health Service Executive, are unable to provide general practitioner, medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependents without undue hardship. Persons with full eligibility are awarded a medical card. Determination of an individual's eligibility status is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive.

Persons with full and limited eligibility are eligible for in-patient and outpatient public hospital services including consultant services, subject to certain charges for non-medical card holders. With respect to outpatient services, there is currently a charge of €100 for attendance at an Accident and Emergency Department, subject to defined exemptions including medical card holders and persons who have a letter of referral from a G.P. and persons whose attendance results in an admission as an in-patient.

The nature of emergency services means that it would be inappropriate that either a patient's ability to pay or their insurance status might be a factor in their getting preferential treatment in an A&E Department. All patients who present to A&E Departments in public hospitals, are by default, public patients.