Vol. 490 No. 7
171 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if new legislation has come into effect in regard to the issuing of medical cards to children with Down's syndrome (details supplied) in view of the fact that the approval of these medical cards is now subject to an assessment whereas they had been issued automatically in the past. [11003/98]
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 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 or she may still be awarded a medical card if the chief executive officer considers that his or her medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. Medical cards may also be issued to individual family members on this basis. While children with Downs' syndrome do not have an automatic entitlement to a medical card the entitlement of individual children would be considered in a sympathetic manner.
Under the long-term illness scheme operated by health boards, children and adults suffering from a number of conditions including mental handicap can obtain, without charge, the prescribed drugs and medicines necessary for the treatment of that condition. In addition, children receiving treatment for mental handicap are exempt from public hospital statutory charges.
