Vol. 408 No. 1
78 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Health whether his plans for expanded community care will involve uniform national eligibility criteria as recommended by the Commission on Health Funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I fully accept the desirability of having in place uniform national eligibility criteria for all community care services. An important step in this direction is the commitment given by the Government in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress to ask the chief executive officers of health boards to carry out an early review of the methods of assessment used for medical card eligibility to ensure that these procedures are uniform and consistent throughout the country. This review will take place shortly.
Apart from the awarding of medical cards, there are certain community care services in respect of which there are no statutory eligibility criteria, and the criteria operated in practice may, therefore, vary from area to area. My Department are at present examining how this issue can best be addressed.
