Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:352 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to reintroduce medical cards for students in view of the documented poverty which many students are experiencing.
Written Answers. - Medical Cards for Students.
Under the Health Act, 1970, medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the Chief Executive Officer of the appropriate health board are unable, without undue hardship, to provide general practitioner services for themselves and their dependants.
Income guidelines are drawn up by the Chief Executive Officers to assist in the determination of a person's eligibility and these guidelines are revised annually in line with the Consumer Price Index. However, these guidelines are not statutorily binding and even though a person's income exceeds the guidelines, that person may still be awarded a medical card if the Chief Executive Officer considers that the person's medical needs or other circumstances would justify this.
Persons aged between 16 and 25 years, including students, who are dependants of a person who is not a medical card holder, are not normally entitled to a medical card except where they have an entitlement under EC regulations or where they are in receipt of a Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance. The decision on whether or not a person is regarded as a dependant or as being financially independent is made by the Chief Executive Officer of the health board on the basis of the circumstances of the individual case. Students who are financially independent are entitled to apply for medical cards and are assessed on the same income criteria as all other applicants.
I do not think that it is justifiable to extend an automatic entitlement to a medical card to any specific group without any reference to their means or, in the case of dependent students, to their parent's means, particularly in view of the many areas of pressing need in the health services and the limited resources available to meet them.
It is open to all persons, be they parents or students, to apply to the Chief Executive Officer of the appropriate health board for health services if they are unable to provide these services for themselves and/or their dependants without hardship. I am satisfied that health boards give sympathetic consideration to such applications when the circumstances warrant it.