Vol. 482 No. 6
285 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department will grant medical cards, from birth, to children born with mental and physical disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18630/97]
Entitlement to health services in Ireland is primarily based on means. Under the Health Act, 1970, determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. Medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer, are unable to provide general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants without undue hardship. Income guidelines are drawn up by the chief executive officers to assist in the determination of a person's eligibility and these guidelines 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, he/she may still be awarded a medical card if the chief executive officer considers that his/her medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. Medical cards may also be issued to individual family members on this basis.
In all circumstances I do not think that it is justifiable to extend automatic entitlement to a medical card to the group indicated in the question.
Under the long-term illness scheme operated by health boards, children and adults suffering from mental handicap, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophies can obtain without charge the drugs and medicines for the treatment of that condition. In addition children receiving treatment for mental handicap, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy are exempt from public hospital statutory charges.
