Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Health, further to Parliamentary Question No. 615 of 4 October 2011 and the supplementary reply in which he stated that the Health Service Executive replied to the question on the presumption of other income by outlining the assessment criteria, if he will clarify the assessment criteria cited by the HSE in that reply. [29527/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The Health Service Executive has confirmed to me that medical card applications for persons aged 16 to 25 years are assessed according to the Medical Card/GP Visit Card National Assessment Guidelines 2009 on the basis of the provisions of the Health Services (No. 3) Regulations, 1983 (S.I. No. 381 of 1983).

As stated in my reply on 4 October last, in accordance with these Guidelines, persons aged 16 to 25 years who are eligible for Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards are:

- Persons who are dependant on holders of a Medical Card or GP Visit Card;

- Financially independent persons whose means are within the income guidelines; and

- Cases of undue hardship where it would be unduly burdensome to provide general practitioner or medical and surgical services.

Applicants aged 16 to 25 are deemed to be financially independent if they are in receipt of income equivalent to or greater than the current rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance. Financial independence may be achieved through student loans, education grants, employment, self-employment, part-time employment, savings or social welfare payments.

Persons aged 16 to 25 who are ineligible for Medical Cards or GP Visit Cards are:

- Persons who are financial dependents of persons who are not holders of a Medical Card or a GP Visit Card; and,

- Financially independent persons whose income does not fall within the Medical Card/GP Visit Card guidelines.