Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Apr 1993

Vol. 429 No. 5

Written Answers. - Medical Card Holders.

Noel Ahern

Question:

55 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the fact that 84 per cent of people over 65 have medical cards, he will give the statistics of the percentage of people over 80, 90 and 95 years with medical cards; if he will give the medical card as of right to 90-year-old persons; and the number of people that this would benefit.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

Information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:

Age Group	Total in Age Group Covered by Medical Cards
80+	110,889
90+	22,154
95+	6,866

National data on detailed age groups over 65 is not yet available from the 1991 Census. Accordingly, it is not possible to calculate the percentage of the population within the age groups specified who hold medical cards.

Under the Health Act, 1970, medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board, are unable, without undue hardship, to provide general practitioner services for themselves and their dependants. Income guidelines are available to assist chief executive officers in the determination of a person's eligibility and these are revised annually in line with the Consumer Price Index. However, these guidelines are not statutorily binding and, even though a person's income exceeds the guidelines, that person may still be awarded a medical card if the chief executive officer considers that the person's medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. However, I do not think that it is justifiable to grant an automatic entitlement to a medical card to any particular group without reference to their means.