Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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275. To ask the Minister for Health the total number of full medical cards currently in circulation; the extent to which this figure has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7387/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The information sought by the Deputy is outlined below. The medical card service is demand led and the number of cards at any given time reflects those persons who have met the eligibility criteria governing the scheme. It should be noted that the higher number of medical cards that issued in 2012 was attributable, primarily, to the backlog of applications in 2011 which were cleared by April 2012.