asked the Minister for Health why a medical card was refused by the NorthWestern Health Board in the case of a person in County Donegal (details supplied) who is in receipt of unemployment assistance and is a married man with a young family.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Medical Card Applicant.
4.
The decision as to whether or not this applicant was entitled to a medical card is one for the chief executive officer of the NorthWestern Health Board. I am informed, however, that when he last applied for a medical card, all the circumstances of the case, including the fact that he was then employed, were fully considered and it was decided that he was not so entitled. I understand that the case is now being reviewed.
Could I have a principle established through this question because I do not want to annoy the Minister with a further litany of such cases where medical cards are being refused to recipients of non-contributory social welfare benefits ranging from old age pensions to unemployment assistance? In view of the fact that the limit for a medical card is much higher than the means test for receipt of social welfare benefit in the non-contributory categories, would the Minister say that all recipients of non-contributory social welfare benefits should be entitled to a medical card?
This question refers to a specific case. The Deputy is broadening it out of all proportion. He is broadening the subject matter of the question to deal with medical cards generally.
I could save yourself, the House and the Minister a good deal of time in the future on similar questions.
Let us have the Minister's reply.
Generally I would agree with the Deputy when he says that recipients of social welfare assistance allowances should be entitled to a medical card. I cannot conceive of any case where somebody would be denied a medical card if he was in receipt of such an allowance. The Deputy refers here to a specific case. I think that either I or the Parliamentary Secretary invited the Deputy to talk about this person. There is a little more in this case than the Deputy possibly knows. Suffice it to say that when he claimed to be unemployed he was not, in fact, unemployed. If the Deputy wants to accept my invitation to talk about this case I will make myself available to do so.
The Minister is aware that he invited me to submit some cases——
That was Social Welfare.
All right.
Question No. 5.
I am as concerned about this person as I am concerned about anybody in similar circumstances. If the Deputy has time this week or next week I will talk to him about his case. If the officers of the health board were wrong or misinterpreted or misconstrued the application he made I am prepared to look at it.
But the Minister agrees with the general principle?
I do, of course, but anybody who is in receipt of social assistance has already undergone a means test.