The information sought by the Deputy is outlined below. The medical card service is demand led and the number of cards at any given time reflects those persons who have met the eligibility criteria governing the scheme.
Date
|
National Population
|
Number of Medical Cards
|
Medical Cards as % of National Population
|
Medical Cards Numbers - % increase year over year
|
End 2008
|
4,422,100
|
1,352,120
|
30.6%
|
-
|
End 2009
|
4,459,300
|
1,478,560
|
33.2%
|
9.4%
|
End 2010
|
4,470,700
|
1,615,809
|
36.1%
|
9.3%
|
End 2011
|
4,581,269
|
1,694,063
|
37.0%
|
4,8%
|
End 2012
|
4,585,400
|
1,853,877
|
40.4%
|
9.4%
|