Vol. 500 No. 5
137 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals, if any, he has to give those suffering from Alzheimer's disease automatic entitlement to a medical card; if he will put in place the necessary resources to fast-track diagnostic services at Ardkeen hospital, Waterford, for these patients; and the block grant, if any, payable to the Alzheimer's society regionally or nationally in 1999. [4529/99]
Entitlement to health services in Ireland is primarily based on means. Under the Health Act 1970, determination of eligibility for medical cards is the responsibility of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board. Medical cards are issued to persons who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer, are unable to provide general practitioner, medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants without undue hardship.
Income guidelines have been drawn up by the chief executive officers to assist in the determination of a person's eligibility and these 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, a medical card may still be awarded if the chief executive officer considers that his or her medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. Medical cards may also be awarded to individual family members on this basis.
In view of this special provision I do not feel it justifiable, nor did previous Governments, on health policy grounds, to extend an automatic entitlement to a medical card to any specific group without any reference to their means or in the case of children, to their parents' means, as a general rule. 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.
