Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 February 2014
572. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to delays in the issuing of medical cards to persons awarded them and to delays in the issuing of refusal letters and renewal applications; his plans to deal with this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6205/14]
View answerI am advised by the HSE that, once the assessment of eligibility for a medical card or a GP visit card has been finalised, the physical card is printed and posted to customers, generally within 48 hours.
Following an assessment of eligibility that determines an applicant is ineligible for a medical card, or the assessment of eligibility determines that the applicant is eligible for a GP visit card, a letter issues advising the applicant of the eligibility assessment outcome.
The PCRS would be obliged to receive specific examples where, once eligibility has been determined, delays have occurred resulting in customers not receiving their cards in a timely manner, or examples of delays in correspondence being issued informing customers of the outcome of their eligibility assessment.
