John McGuinness
Question:292 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children if residents who hold a UK national insurance card are automatically entitled to a medical card. [23815/01]
Written Answers. - Medical Cards.
Arrangements under EU regulations supersede the provisions of the Irish eligibility system in respect of certain categories of nationals of other EU countries. Social security pensioners of other EU countries who are not covered by an Irish social welfare pension, as recipient or dependant, and who are not employed or self-employed here, receive a medical card. Persons resident here who are insured workers in the territory of another EU country receive a medical card. Unemployed persons seeking work here who are covered by a form E119 issued by another EU country receive a medical card. The dependants of any of the above categories also receive a medical card provided that they, or, in the case of children, the spouse or person looking after them, are not employed or self-employed here.
Students from other EU countries are entitled to a medical card if a form E128 has been issued by the country concerned. Alternatively, they may receive urgent necessary treatment free of charge if covered by form E111 or by producing evidence of UK residence. Where the duration of the course is at least one academic year, the student may apply for eligibility under the Irish system in which case he-she would be regarded as "ordinarily resident".
Posted workers, namely, persons assigned to Ireland by an employer in another EU country, are covered by EU form E128. This form entitles the holder to full medical treatment in any EEA country for any condition, whether or not it is of an emergency nature. It covers employed and self-employed workers and family dependants accompanying the worker abroad who are temporarily posted to another European Economic Area, EEA, member state and continue to pay insurance contributions in the country of origin.
Where none of the above arrangements applies, a national of another EU country who is employed or self-employed in Ireland has, under EU regulations, the same entitlements as an employed or self-employed Irish national. He-she and his-her dependants, if resident here, should, therefore, have either full or limited eligibility, as appropriate, regardless of the duration of residence in Ireland.