Róisín Shortall
Ceist:146 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has satisfied himself with current medical card guidelines as they are applied to students; if he has further satisfied himself with the situation that the only circumstances whereby a student living at home can satisfy the medical criteria, apart from their parents qualifying, are those in which the student has an exact income of ?123 per week; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that for a student living with their parents to be considered independent they must prove that they have a weekly income above ?123 per week, but that the medical card income guideline for this category is also ?123 per week; his views on whether this is an entirely anomalous and unsatisfactory arrangement; and if he will change this in time for the publication of the 2004 medical card income guidelines. [26026/03]