Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Health the average waiting times for processing of new medical card applications for applicants from County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42754/13]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The HSE collates data on a national level in relation to waiting times, and not at a lower level.

The Primary Care Reimbursement Service aims to process all complete medical card applications within 15 days and is currently processing 94.5% of applications within that time frame.

The length of time that it takes for a client to receive a decision on their medical card application depends on whether the client submitted a complete application, and if not, how quickly the applicant responds to the subsequent request for additional information. Applications that remain in process outside of the 15 day period, due to incomplete applications and where the applicant is engaging with the process, are facilitated so that eligibility may be retained in the interim and, once the documentation received, their assessment is prioritised without delay. This process applies to renewal applications also.

If a person is a new applicant presenting with an urgent medical need or an urgent medical need in respect of their dependant(s), the HSE will facilitate a prioritised assessment of eligibility once the applicant has provided all the information necessary.