Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 May 2014
863. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health since February 2011 to February 2014 the number of persons who have Down's syndrome who have lost their cards in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22923/14]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for health services in Ireland is based primarily on residency and means. The Act provides that persons, who are unable to arrange GP services for themselves and family without undue hardship, having regard to their overall financial situations, can qualify for a medical card. The HSE can only award medical cards in accordance with the Health Act and, therefore, it must assess the means and reasonable expenditure of the applicant, and his or her spouse or partner. As the medical condition of the applicant is not a factor in the assessment process for medical cards under the National Assessment Guidelines, the HSE does not record data on the GMS Database of this nature and, therefore, it is not possible to provide the data requested by the Deputy.
