Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

335. To ask the Minister for Health if persons suffering with narcolepsy as a result of the swine flu vaccine that are attending university in the UK are permitted to obtain a medical card here while they are attending university abroad. [48068/17]

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

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The HSE have advised that if a student with narcolepsy is confirmed by a medical professional to have contracted narcolepsy as a direct consequence of a swine flu injection administered in Ireland, a medical card will be awarded to that student and this card will have no eligibility end date.

It should be noted that if there is no confirmation by a medical professional that narcolepsy is of a consequence of the swine flu injection administered in Ireland the ordinary resident rule for a medical card would apply. This rule states that any person who is considered by the HSE to be “ordinarily resident” in the State may apply for Medical Card eligibility. “Ordinarily resident” means that a person is living in the Republic of Ireland and intends to live here for at least one year. Applicants may be asked to provide proof of property purchase or rental, such as evidence that the property in question is the applicant’s principal residence; evidence of bank accounts; work permits. Students residing abroad for the purpose of study are only considered to be ordinarily resident if they are returning to Ireland at least once a week. It may be necessary to provide evidence of residing in Ireland or proof that they are returning here at least once a week, e.g. airline tickets, etc.