Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

455. To ask the Minister for Health when children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance will be issued with a full medical card as announced in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16053/17]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

456. To ask the Minister for Health when children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance will be provided with a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16059/17]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

489. To ask the Minister for Health when medical cards will be provided to all children receiving domiciliary care allowance; and the way in which children currently in receipt of domiciliary care allowance will be allocated medical cards. [16138/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 455, 456 and 489 together.

The Health (Amendment) Bill 2017 was published Thursday 2nd March 2017. This Bill will enable the granting of full eligibility for general practitioner and other health services to all children in respect of whom a Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is paid. Granting a medical card to all children in respect of whom a DCA payment is made will benefit approximately 9,800 children in this cohort who do not currently qualify for a medical card. The legislation was passed in the Seanad last Thursday, 30th March 2017. The Bill was signed by the President on 31st March 2017.

Pre-registration with the HSE for the DCA medical card will be available from 1st May 2017. This can be done on-line or paper-based. These medical cards will be certified for use from 1st June 2017.

For a child in receipt of DCA but who currently does not have a medical card, the parent or guardian will register for the scheme either online or through a paper-based form. For a child who is currently eligible for a medical card (under discretion or otherwise) and is confirmed to be in receipt of DCA, the HSE will automatically issue them a medical card. For a child who is currently eligible for a GP Visit Card (under discretion or otherwise), this card will automatically be upgraded to a full medical card.