asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate in respect of County Donegal the number of applications for medical cards by non-contributory social welfare recipients which have been refused.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Medical Cards.
31.
I am informed that in County Donegal, as elsewhere, medical cards are normally issued to recipients of social welfare non-contributory pensions without any further assessment of means.
If the Deputy is aware of any particular cases in which this did not happen I will have the position examined if he will be kind enough to let me have particulars of them.
Could I ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether he would inquire from the local authority about this matter? My question covers the whole county. I know of cases where medical cards have been refused to recipients of non-contributory social welfare benefits. This would only be in respect of a small area. It would be impossible for me to deal with the whole county. It is a considerable problem. I asked in my question for the number of cases involved. Can the Parliamentary Secretary give me the number?
The information before me indicates that any person within the category mentioned in the Deputy's question who has applied for a medical card was given one. If the Deputy is aware of any particular case where this is not so, would he be kind enough to supply the details? I would be only too glad to go into the matter.
My question was specific and concise. I asked "how many". I did not get a reply to that definite, specific question.
The information before me indicates that "none" is the answer.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say definitely that there are none?
Can the Deputy say definitely there are some? If he can, would he kindly supply us with the information which he has?
It is no good to the people of Donegal that I should give two, three or four names of people in this category. This is a problem throughout the county. Does the Parliamentary Secretary think that giving a number of names and addresses to him would solve the problem which I know exists?
If the Deputy would supply me with the names which he appears to have, this would indicate that there is a problem. The evidence before me at the moment is that there is no problem. If the Deputy will supply me with the information which he states he has, and which is contrary to my information, that would prove that there is at least a problem and we could take it from there.
I will give the Parliamentary Secretary the names and addresses of people which I have already given to the local authority.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the means test limit for the allocation of medical cards needs to to re-assessed and raised?
That was answered at an earlier stage, Deputy.