Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Apr 1996

Vol. 463 No. 6

Written Answers. - Medical Card Qualification.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

126 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Health the position concerning the granting of medical cards to adult children living in the family home, covering the age of which they are treated as individuals without reference to parents' income; when this limit changed from 16 years of age; the reason it changed; and if he intends to restore the system for stand alone eligibility to the voting age. [7098/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): 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.

Assessment procedures are also a matter for the chief executive officers and they have agreed on a number of standardised procedures to ensure uniformity and consistency in all areas when the income of a medical card applicant is being assessed. Persons aged 16 to 25 who are financially dependent on their parents are entitled to a medical card if their parents are medical card holders. Those who are dependants of non-medical card holders, are not normally entitled to a medical card except where they have an entitlement under EU Regulations or where they are in receipt of a disabled person's maintenance allowance. Persons aged 16 to 25 who are financially independent are entitled to apply for a medical card in their own right and are assessed on the same income criteria as all other applicants. The decision on whether or not a person is regarded as a dependent or as being financially independent is made by the chief executive officer of the health board on the basis of the circumstances of each individual case.

It is open to all persons 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 or their dependants without hardship. I am satisfied that health boards give sympathetic consideration to such applications when the circumstances warrant it.