Proinsias De Rossa
Question:470 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of long-term unemployed persons who have retained their medical card on returning to work in relation to each health board area. [9435/98]
Written Answers. - Medical Cards.
The implementation of the 1996 budget provision concerning the retention of medical cards by persons who have been on the live register for at least 12 months who take up paid insurable employment and to participants on approved schemes aimed at the long-term unemployed is a matter for health board chief executive officers, who have statutory responsibility for the administration of the medical card scheme.
Information of the nature sought by the Deputy is not normally held by my Department and health boards do not record such information on an ongoing basis. I am advised, however, that health boards are in the process of changing the medical card records system in a way which will enable them, in the future, to identify the number of long-term unemployed persons who retain their cards on taking up employment.