asked the Minister for Health whether local authorities are obliged to give consideration to the circumstances of each individual applicant for a medical card; or whether any general scale is laid down by county managers within which medical cards are issued.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Cards.
3.
Health Authorities are bound to take into consideration all the circumstances of each applicant for a medical card. In a circular issued by my Department in February, 1955, health authorities were urged strongly to arrange that, before each application for a service is determined, the health authority should have a full report on the circumstances of the applicant and that the decision on the application should be taken in the light of all the circumstances.
I am not aware of any general scale adopted by County Managers, setting out income limits for eligibility for medical cards.
I have here a letter from the Kildare County Council in which the county manager said that the application was refused on the grounds that the income was found by the council to be in excess of the general scale. May I ask if any such statement by the county manager that a scale of means is in operation is contrary to the Minister's intentions in the implementation of the Health Act?
I do not know if I can answer that question. The manager is bound to consider the circumstances of each applicant, one of the circumstances being the applicant's income. If, prima facie the applicant appears to have a greater income than would entitle him to these services, I take it that the onus of proof is put back on him and that, I think, is the purport of the manager's letter.
That is not the question I asked the Minister. I asked whether what the county manager said, that the person's income—this is a man with less than £7 per week—is in excess of the general scale, is contrary to the method by which the circumstances of the applicant should be investigated; in other words, a scale. If you are under it you get the card and if you are over it, you do not.
Is this not a discussion on a particular case?
Of course it is.
Helpful Henry.
The Minister ought to know what the Health Act means or the method of operating it.
There is no particular case mentioned in this general question. The Deputy ought to put down a question on the case on which he seeks information.
The Minister does not know what way the Health Act is being operated.
May I reply to the Deputy's supplementary in these terms? The county manager is not responsible to me for the administration of the Health Act. He is responsible to the health authority for which he is manager. That question by Deputy Norton should be addressed to the Kildare County Council.
The manager ought to implement the Act in the manner intended by this House.
Is the Minister not aware that his Department have issued to county managers a scale to be taken into account when they are considering cases for the Health Act?
I am not so aware. In fact, I am advised that is not the fact.
Prior to the Minister's accession to office, was a scale not issued by Deputy O'Higgins when he was Minister?
I am advised that the Department of Health issued no scale for the guidance of county managers but they did draw their attention to the terms of Section 14.