Vol. 514 No. 2
92 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 97 of 27 January 2000, the terms of reference of the medical card review group have been extended to examine other anomalies in the general medical services system, such as the exclusion from automatic qualification of couples on individualised social welfare payments; if another group is examining this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3883/00]
The joint Department of Health and Children/health board working group referred to in the Deputy's Parliamentary Question No. 97 of 27 January was established in 1998 with the following terms of reference:
to clarify the guidelines on eligibility for medical cards particularly as they relate to the budget 1996 provision in relation to persons who have been on the live register for 12 months and who take up paid insurable employment and also to participants on approved schemes aimed at the long-term unemployed.
The group completed its work and its recommendations were agreed by the chief executive officers. The terms of reference above of the group were not extended to examine other issues. However, I am advised that health board chief executive officers continuously keep under review medical card eligibility criteria and this process would include consideration of couples on individualised social welfare payments.
