Vol. 508 No. 1
481 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in Cork has been refused a renewal of his medical card due to the fact he is over the limit as he only returned to work earlier this year and was advised at the time that he would be entitled to hold onto his medical card for three years after returning to work. [17843/99]
The determination of eligibility for health services to individuals is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. I, as Minister for Health and Children, do not have a function in the matter. However, as the determination of eligibility of the person concerned rests with the chief executive officer of the Southern Health Board, I have asked him to have the matter investigated and to reply directly to you.
The Government announced in the 1996 budget that "persons who have been unemployed for at least one year shall retain their medical cards after entering employment." Persons who are on the live register for at least one year and who take up paid insurable employment were deemed to meet the criteria for retaining their medical cards for three years. The purpose of the budget provision was to remove disincentives to labour force participation by long-term unemployed persons.
The provision also covers participants on approved schemes applicable to the long-term unemployed, including back to work allowance – BTWA, community employment, jobstart, job initiative, partnership and community group initiative and development courses such as workplace and vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS.
