David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1093. To ask the Minister for Health the timeframe for extending the medical card entitlement and general practitioner access for children under 13 years of age as provided for in the Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21356/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Bill 2020 was enacted on 2nd August 2020. This Act provides for the necessary legislative amendments to the Health Act 1970 (as amended) to increase the weekly gross medical card income limits for those aged 70 and over to €550 per week for a single person (currently €500 per week) and to €1050 per week for a couple (currently €900 per week). The Government is finalising decisions on the associated funding for this measure and the implementation date for the commencement of this provision.

The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020 also provides for the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under. The initial stage of this phased expansion will be the provision of GP care without fees to all children aged between 6 and 8.

The Government is committed to increasing access to GP care without charges for children, an important healthcare measure that will remove a potentially prohibitive cost barrier to accessing GP care and will help to improve children’s health as they develop.

The appropriate date for commencing the expansion remains under consideration in light of COVID-19 and the additional pressures the expansion might place on general practice in that context and in anticipation of the usual increase in demand for healthcare services over the winter period. This date will be determined in consultation with the IMO. It is important to ensure that any additional pressures placed on general practice will not limit its capacity to meet the needs of all patients in the community.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Health the timeframe for increasing the income limits medical card assessments for persons over 70 years of age as provided for in the Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21357/20]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1258. To ask the Minister for Health when the budget 2020 over-70s medical card income thresholds will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21811/20]

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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1263. To ask the Minister for Health when the commencement order will be issued to the HSE in order to give effect to the provisions of the legislation on the new thresholds for medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21834/20]

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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1264. To ask the Minister for Health if legislation will be introduced to ensure the new income eligibility guidelines to qualify for the medical card as announced in budget 2020 are given legal effect; if funding is in place to finance the measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21837/20]

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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1265. To ask the Minister for Health when the commencement order will issue to the HSE to give effect to the provisions of the legislation on the new thresholds for medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21857/20]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1287. To ask the Minister for Health when section 2 of the Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020, which increases the income limit for the over-70s medical card, will be commenced. [21992/20]

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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1333. To ask the Minister for Health when the changes to the GMS for persons over 70 years of age will become active; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22159/20]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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1335. To ask the Minister for Health when the proposed increase in the income limit for medical cards will commence. [22173/20]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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1352. To ask the Minister for Health when the threshold will be increased from €900 to €1,050 for persons applying for a medical card that are over 70 years of age. [22292/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1094, 1258, 1263 to 1265, inclusive, 1287, 1333, 1335 and 1352 together.

The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Bill 2020 was enacted on 2nd August 2020. This Act provides, amongst other things, for the necessary legislative amendments to the Health Act 1970 (as amended) to increase the weekly gross medical card income limits for those aged 70 and over to €550 per week for a single person (currently €500 per week) and to €1050 per week for a couple (currently €900 per week). The Government is finalising decisions on the associated funding for this measure and the implementation date for the commencement of this provision.