Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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447. To ask the Minister for Health the start date in 2017 that he plans for the provision of medical cards to all children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; his views on the lack of clarity for parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34460/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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448. To ask the Minister for Health when he will publish the required legislation to provide medical cards to all children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; if it will be introduced before the end of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34462/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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449. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide projected individual monthly costs for 2017 and allocated numbers of cards for the provision of medical cards to all children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance used for the purposes of his Department's budgetary planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34464/16]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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540. To ask the Minister for Health when his Department intends to meet its commitment to ensure that, in cases where domiciliary care allowance is being paid, children have the right to an automatic medical card; when this will happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34802/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 to 449, inclusive, and 540 together.

I will be bringing a Memorandum to Government very shortly seeking permission for the preparation of the legislation to give effect to this measure. This new legislation will effectively mean that all children in respect of whom a DCA payment is made will automatically qualify for a medical card and, therefore, no longer be subject to the medical cards means test at any point in the future while in receipt of DCA. It is my objective to have this legislation prepared and brought before the Oireachtas as quickly as possible. In addition to the preparation of the legislation, I have asked the HSE, so that the proposal can be implemented in a smooth and efficient manner, to commence the process of planning for the requirements of the scheme and how the cards will issue.

It is estimated that approximately 9,000 children in respect of whom a DCA payment is currently being made are not in receipt of a medical card. The full year cost of providing these children, and the additional children expected to qualify for a DCA payment by end 2017, with a medical card is approximately €16m. The cost which will be incurred on a monthly basis will ultimately depend on the number of children encompassed by the measure whose parents or guardians apply for a medical card, as well as the profile of service usage they incur. The 2017 Budget allocation for the measure is €10m and it is my intention that medical cards for these children will be provided as early as is possible, commensurate with the funding which has been allocated by the Oireachtas.