asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the present anomalies and differences between different parts of the country in the operation of the means test for the medical card, he will, pending the findings of the Select Committee on Health Services, make uniform national rules for the granting or withholding of these medical cards.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of Medical Cards.
4.
The Deputy will, of course, appreciate that, due to differing economic circumstances in different health authority areas, it is reasonable to expect that the percentage of the population covered by medical cards will vary as between one area and another and, further, that uniform national rates could produce anomalies.
In any event, I have no power at present to make rules such as the Deputy proposes. An amendment of the Health Acts would be necessary.