Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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804. To ask the Minister for Health the way the removal of the medical card fits with the Government's Healthy Ireland – A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing (details supplied); if the key to this approach is as stated a focus on prevention and whole of society approach to improving health; the way the removal of the vital support of a medical card for people with disabilities in the workforce is compatible with that Government policy document [22651/14]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Healthy Ireland, the Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 – 2025is the national framework for action to improve the health and wellbeing of all those living in the country over the coming generations regardless of medical card status.

The Framework, which is underpinned by a number of ethical and guiding principles for implementation, places a strong emphasis on an evidence-based approach, reflecting national and international best practice, and takes a life course approach aimed at achieving four main goals:

- Increase the proportion of people who are healthy at all stages of life

- Reduce health inequalities

- Protect the public from threats to health and wellbeing

- Create an environment where every individual and sector of society can play their part in achieving a healthy Ireland.

Healthy Irelandsupports a whole-of-government approach to address the determinants and predictors of health and wellbeing, many of which fall outside the health sector, e.g. housing, transportation, education, workplaces and environment along with an individual's socio-economic status.