asked the Minister for Health if he will state the table of income respectively applicable to (a) wage earners, and (b) small landholders in County Kerry on the basis of which a medical card under the general medical registration service is issued by the Kerry County Council health authority, and if he will give comparable tables in respect of Counties Limerick and Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of Medical Cards in Kerry.
The determination of eligibility for general medical services is a matter for the appropriate health authorities and I have no functions in the matter. The statutory provision under which the services are provided, that is, Section 14 of the Health Act, 1953, envisages that each application for a medical card should be considered on its merits and health authorities have already been informed by my Department that they should not seek to impose a set scale of means for the purpose of determining eligibility.
Information is not available in my Department regarding any general standards which may be used by the health authorities mentioned by the Deputy.