Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 1

Written Answers. - Medical Card Application.

Noel Ahern

Question:

85 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health the reason a medical card has been refused to a person (details supplied) in long stay residential care for mentally handicapped people on the grounds that the person's family take him home for two nights most weekends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9335/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): 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.

I have had inquiries made of the Eastern Health Board concerning this case and have been advised that the health board has not yet received details which were requested at the time that the application was made which would have enabled the application to be fully processed. Given the length of time since the application was made, I would advise that the best course of action would be for the family concerned to reapply to the health board.

It is open to all persons to apply to the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board for health services if they are unable to provide these services for themselves and or their dependants without hardship. I am satisfied that health boards give sympathetic consideration to such applications when the circumstances warrant it.