Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 1997

Vol. 483 No. 6

Written Answers. - Medical Card Benefits.

Richard Bruton

Question:

128 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the benefits, if any, for which her Department affords preferentially to families or individuals who hold medical cards compared to the rest of the population. [21235/97]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Miss Harney)

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment does not generally afford any preferential treatment to families or individuals because they hold a medical card. The sole exception to this is that persons who hold medical cards are exempt from the Employment and Training Levy, payable at 1 per cent of reckonable income in excess of £197 per week and collected through the PRSI system.

The Department does not have responsibility for any scheme of secondary benefits.

Eligibility for a medical card is determined on the basis of means and other circumstances by the relevant health board. People solely dependent on unemployment payments are usually eligible.

In turn, people who are dependent on unemployment payments for specified amounts of time are eligible for training courses and employment schemes run under the aegis of the Department. While so participating they retain entitlement to a medical card.

On taking up a job, persons who have been registered as unemployed for over 12 months are allowed retain their medical card entitlement for three years.