asked the Minister for Health if he will estimate and state the number of persons (and dependants) covered by sections 14 and 15 of the Health Act, 1953 under the following heads: (1) persons and (2) dependants, segregating (i) medical card holders (ii) insured persons (iii) farmers of £50 valuation (iv) self-employed up to £800 per annum and (v) other persons.
Written Answers. - Health Services.
81.
The number of persons recorded by local health authorities as eligible on 31st December, 1961 for the General Medical Services under Section 14 of the Health Act, 1953, was 800,008, made up of 277,222 holders of medical cards and 522,786 dependants.
The total numbers of persons eligible for the General Institutional and Specialist Services under Section 15 of the Health Act, 1953 is estimated, on the basis of the best information available pending the publication of the full results of the 1961 Census of Population, to be about 2,400,000 or 85 per cent. of the population. This total includes the 800,008 medical card holders referred to above. The figure of 2,400,000 includes an estimated 1,550,000 for insured persons and their dependants and an estimated 690,000 for farmers and their dependants. Estimates of the numbers of self-employed persons with annual means less than £800 and other eligible persons are not available.