John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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366. To ask the Minister for Health when he asked the clinical advisory group on medical cards to examine the guidelines for the awarding of discretionary medical cards for persons undergoing treatment for cancer; and when he expects to receive their recommendations. [40632/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Clinical Advisory Group was established by the Director General of the HSE in January 2015 to provide clinical oversight and guidance to the operation of a more compassionate and trusted medical card system. Its establishment followed the completion of the work of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility. The membership of the Clinical Advisory Group includes clinical experts from specialist services and professions, as well as patient representatives. The Group reports to the National Director of Primary Care on a quarterly basis.

The 2014 "Keane" Report of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility found that it is not feasible, desirable, or ethically justifiable to list medical conditions for medical card eligibility. However, in an interim report to the HSE in 2015, the Clinical Advisory Group recommended that all children under the age of 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer should be awarded a medical card for a period of five years. The HSE gave effect to this recommendation on 1 July 2015.

The next phase of the work of the Clinical Advisory Group relates to the development of a framework for assessment and measurement of the burden of disease and appropriate operational guidelines for the medical card scheme. I understand that the output of this work has been completed and is being considered by the HSE.