Noel Treacy
Ceist:73 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Health if he will restore medical cards to all students in the country; the date on which this will be done; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7788/97]
Written Answers. - Medical Cards.
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. A medical card normally covers the card holder, his or her spouse and any children under 16. Medical cards may also be awarded to individual family members.
Persons aged 16 to 25, 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 each individual case. Students 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. A student is assessed for a medical card by the health board in whose area he or she is attending college.
When assessing the medical card entitlement of a family, the income guidelines include an allowance for each dependant and where that dependant is in full-time third level education and is not grant-aided, this allowance is doubled.
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 or their dependants without hardship. I am satisfied that health boards give sympathetic consideration to such applications when the circumstances warrant it.
I would, of course, be anxious that every student who is in genuine need of a medical card should receive one. However, it is best to rely on the careful consideration of individual bases by the health boards rather than to introduce a provision on the lines suggested by the Deputy.