Vol. 547 No. 1
580 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to provide medical cards for children from birth to five years of age by right; if his attention has been drawn to the costs involved to families of children of this age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1907/02]
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, other than for persons aged seventy years and over, who are automatically eligible for a medical card. 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 are drawn up to assist in the determination of a person's eligibility and these are revised annually in line with the consumer price index. However, the guidelines are not statutorily binding and even if 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. It is open to all persons to apply to the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board if they are unable to provide health services for themselves or their dependants without hardship.
The issue of eligibility was considered in the context of the new national health strategy, Quality and Fairness, A Health System For You, launched by the Government. The strategy outlines a number of measures designed to improve eligibility for health services which the Government has committed itself to introducing over a number of years. Among the measures proposed is an increase in access to medical cards. In addition to the recent extension of eligibility to all persons aged 70 years and over, the strategy includes a commitment that significant improvements will be made in the income guidelines in order to increase the number of persons on low incomes who are eligible for a medical card and to give priority to families with children and particularly children with a disability.
