Vol. 572 No. 6
290 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the suspension of subsidies for medical card holders attending the Irish Family Planning Association due to lack of funding from the NAHB. [23983/03]
In August 2000, the Northern Area Health Board, in partnership with the Irish Family Planning Association, initiated a family planning-womens health service at the Irish Family Planning Association's premises in Cathal Brugha Street. The services provided are complementary to those available to medical card holders through their own general practitioner and they are intended to provide an element of choice for medical card holders in the area of reproductive health.
In 2003, a budget of €140,000 was made available to the Irish Family Planning Association for the provision of services for medical card holders. This represented an increase of 10% on the previous years allocation. The Irish Family Planning Association was asked to take appropriate steps to manage the delivery of services within its allocation, but failed to do so, and has suspended services to medical card holders with effect from 13 October 2003. The Northern Area Health Board will seek to facilitate the IFPA with further funding in 2003. Medical card holders in the area are still entitled to access reproductive health services through their general practitioners.
