Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Health if the new local property tax will be a deductible expense for the purposes of determining the net wage of a medical card applicant. [1871/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Under the provisions of the Health Act 1970, medical cards are provided to persons who, in the opinion of the Health Service Executive, are unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants. The assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means of the applicant and his/her dependants.

In calculating net income, allowances are given for reasonable expenses incurred in respect of rent/mortgage payments; in respect of childcare costs and in respect of expenses incurred in travel to work. Expenditure in relation to medical costs will be considered. Applicants whose weekly incomes are derived solely from Social Welfare or Health Service Executive allowances/payments, which are in excess of the financial guidelines, will be granted a medical card. However, at present, there are no proposals to include the new property tax as a deductible expense in determining eligibility for medical cards.