asked the Minister for Health if he proposes to raise the £60 farm valuation limit for those seeking hospital and specialist service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Services Eligibility.
11.
I have no proposal under consideration to change this limit.
Would the Minister not agree that because of inflation and of increases in income limits for various services, this limit should be increased also? The figure should be at least £100. Therefore, I ask the Minister to consider this matter. There has been no change since the £60 limit came into operation.
There was a slight change about 23 years ago. Valuation does not mean a lot in this case because a farmer can earn anything over the limit but still qualify for benefit if the valuation is not more than £60.
Farmers have been earning a lot less in the past couple of years.
A person's valuation is the means of determining whether he qualifies for the scheme. In some cases the limit can be the cause of much hardship although this would not be so in other cases. However, if the regulation is the cause of an injustice to anyone, it should be changed.
It is an advantage to some farmers to have this regulation in operation because they can earn over the limit and still qualify for limited eligibility if their valuations are not more than £60.
Question No. 12.
May I ask one more supplementary?
Yes.
If the Minister consults with his colleague, the Minister for Finance, he will ascertain that I have put facts before the latter to indicate that in the majority of cases the present system is not an advantage but is a cause of hardship.
Strictly speaking, eligibility for the scheme should be related to income but it is difficult to assess the income of farmers.