Vol. 492 No. 1
119 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of non-Irish European nationals who have medical cards in each of the health board areas; and if those recipients have been the subject of a means test before receiving those cards. [13345/98]
Any person, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the health boards as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility, category 1, i.e. medical card holders, or limited eligibility, category 2, for health services. Health boards normally regard a person as "ordinarily resident" in Ireland if he-she satisfies the health boards that it is his-her intention to remain here for a minimum period of one year. Medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the health board, are unable to provide general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants. Applicants for medical cards are subject to a means test. As nationality is not a determining factor in eligibility for health services health boards do not normally hold the type of information requested by the Deputy.
Under EU regulations, persons taking up permanent residence in Ireland who are in receipt of a social security pension from another EU member state, who are not in receipt of an Irish Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs pension, as either a recipient or dependant, and who are not employed or self-employed here are entitled to a medical card irrespective of means. The relevant Regulation 1408/71 specifies that such persons are entitled to the same level of benefits, i.e. medical card, as those available in the state in which they are staying on behalf of the state responsible for payment of the pension. Otherwise, they are entitled to health services on the same basis as persons normally resident here i.e. subject to a means test. The costs involved in providing care to persons who qualify for health services under EU regulations are the responsibility of the state which pays the social security pension.
