Peadar Clohessy
Ceist:17 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Health the arrangements, if any, that have been made to ensure that social welfare recipients returning to the workforce can hold a medical card for up to two years. [9435/96]
Written Answers. - Eligibility for Medical Card.
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.
The chief executive officers of the health boards have agreed to implement the following measures to assist medical card holders who take up employment or participate in community employment and recognised development courses: (a) persons who held the medical card while on the live register are allowed to retain the medical card for a period of two years after securing paid insurable employment if they qualify for family income supplement in respect of that employment; (b) persons who held a medical card while on the live register are allowed to retain the medical card for a period of two years after securing a placement on the community employment programme; (c) persons on the live register starting their own businesses who are paid a back to work allowance by the Department of Social Welfare and who are paid family income supplement in respect of that employment are allowed to retain their medical card for a period of two years; (d) disabled persons participating in the employment support scheme who held a medical card before entering the scheme are allowed retain the card for a period of two years; (e) persons on the live register who participate in education, training or their recognised development courses are allowed retain their medical card; and (f) weekly payments made under the community employment programme, back to work allowance and family income supplement are excluded income when assessing a persons eligibility for a medical card.
The recent budget also included a provision in relation to the retention of medical cards by persons who have been unemployed for at least one year prior to re-entering employment. Arrangements are being made for the implementation of this decision.