Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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643. To ask the Minister for Health to clarify if and when former Department of Justice employees will be entitled to a medical card. [36026/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Eligibility for a Medical Card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.

Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. The weekly gross medical card income thresholds for people aged 70 and over are currently €550 per week for a single person and €1050 for a couple.

Persons under 70 are assessed under the general means tested medical card thresholds which are based on an applicant’s household income after tax and the deduction of PRSI and the Universal Social Charge. Certain expenses are also taken into account. Examples of allowable expenses include rent, mortgage, certain insurance costs, childcare, maintenance, nursing home net costs which help to increase the amount a person can earn and still qualify for a medical card. Detailed guidelines are available at: Assessment for a medical card - HSE.ie. Eligibility for a medical card is not granted on the basis of an individual's previous occupation or employment.

Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are also considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services.