Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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153. To ask the Minister for Health if she shares views with a disability action group (details supplied) that medical cards should not be means tested, that they should be awarded solely on the basis of need alone; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39524/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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In accordance with the Health Act 1970, as amended, the assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means, including the income and expenditure, of the applicant and his or her partner and dependants. The determination of eligibility for a medical card is the responsibility of the HSE.

Earlier in the year, the Government was concerned that persons with serious medical conditions could not access certain primary/community health services because they did not qualify for a medical card. Therefore, it agreed that the Minister for Health would revert to Government with options for providing eligibility for a range of health services on the basis of specific and defined medical conditions.

The Government has not specified that a person with a medical condition should qualify for a medical card per se. Instead, it agreed that it will take into consideration the recommendations on the specific services that would be of best benefit for a certain condition. The Government also agreed that the options would be developed in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Expenditure.

To support this process, the Director-General of the HSE established an Expert Panel to examine and recommend the range of medical conditions that should be considered as a basis of eligibility. The Expert Panel was chaired by Prof Frank Keane, Past President of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and Clinical Lead, National Clinical Programme for Surgery. The panel included a range of 23 clinical experts from primary care, specialist services and therapies. It also included a patient representative. The work of the Expert Panel was also informed by on-line public consultation and the convening of a patient representative forum to consider the issues.

The Report was received by the Department of Health earlier this month. This is a detailed report and the Minister for Health is now considering its findings. When he has considered these, discussed them with the HSE and consulted as necessary with the Minister for Public Expenditure and the Attorney General, the Minister will be reporting to Government on the matter.

In that context of the policy decision made by Government, the HSE suspended further reviews of medical and GP visit cards where discretion had been exercised to take account of medical circumstances, pending the outcome of this process and eligibility has been extended. In addition, over 11,000 medical cards or GP visit cards were re-issued to persons, with a serious medical condition, who had the renewal of their discretionary card refused by the HSE, having completed an eligibility review during the period from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2014.