Medical Cards.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2005

Tuesday, 21 June 2005

Ceisteanna (72)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

74 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to allow families to write off child care costs when being assessed for eligibility for medical cards; her estimate of the number of persons or families which benefit from such a move; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that income levels for medical cards are so low that few of those holding medical cards can avail of child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20833/05]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

The assessment of eligibility for medical cards is a function of the Health Service Executive. Reasonable child care expenses will be taken into account in revised eligibility assessment guidelines for medical cards due to be issued shortly. These guidelines will be publicised by the HSE in the coming week.

It is difficult to precisely estimate the number of persons who will benefit from this initiative but a working figure of 18,000-20,000 persons is currently assumed.

The inclusion of reasonable child care expenses is part of a number of significant improvements to the eligibility assessment system that will be implemented shortly by the executive. These include: assessments will be based on disposable income; reasonable rent and mortgage costs allowed in full; and reasonable costs of travel to work allowed in full.

The eligibility assessment system will be kept under continuous review to ensure that this is targeted to meet the need of persons-families on low incomes.