Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Medical Cards.

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

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. 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. The decision on whether 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 in each individual case. Persons pursuing apprenticeship courses with FÁS are assessed, based on their income, in the same way as other applicants.

The Government announced in the 1996 budget that "persons who have been unemployed for at least one year shall retain their medical cards after entering employment." Persons who are on the live register for at least one year and who take up paid insurable employment were deemed to meet the criteria for retaining their medical cards for three years. The purpose of the budget provision was to remove disincentives to labour force participation by long-term unemployed persons.

The provision also covers participants on approved schemes applicable to the long-term unemployed, including back to work allowance – BTWA – community employment, jobstart, job initiative, partnership and community group initiative and development courses such as workplace and vocational training opportunities scheme – VTOS. FÁS apprenticeship courses are not covered under this provision.