asked the Minister for Health if a hospital services card will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin in view of the fact that his application to the Eastern Health Board shows that his earnings are within the guidelines after arrears of payment for the previous year is excluded from his P.60.
Written Answers. - Hospital Services Card.
332.
A decision on an application for a hospital services card in any individual case is a matter for the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. In making such a decision it is a matter for the chief executive officer to satisfy himself that the income of the applicant conforms to the statutory requirements. The evidence of income which is normally required in the case of an employed person is the Revenue Commissioners' form P.60 completed by the applicant's employer. When the income shown on this form needs to be adjusted to take account of arrears of income, this adjustment is made by the Revenue Commissioners.
I have made inquiries from the chief executive officer of the Eastern Health Board in the case quoted by the Deputy and I understand that if the income as shown on the from P.60 requires to be adjusted this can be done by the applicant applying to his local inspector of taxes. Such an adjusted statement will be accepted by the chief executive officer as evidence of income for purposes of determining the applicant's eligibility for a hospital services card.