Medical card proposals within two weeks, Minister for Finance tells Dáil

Proposals will be brought to Cabinet within two weeks on the eligibility criteria for medical cards, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has told the Dáil. But it was "not clear" if legislation was necessary to restore cards to those who had lost them in reviews.

He said Minister for Health James Reilly and Minister of State Alex White would bring the measures to Government within a fortnight.

Mr Noonan told Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin that if legislation was necessary to change the eligibility basis for medical cards and restore them to those who lost them, Dr Reilly and Mr White would “progress” the matter.

Following the Government’s halting last week of medical card reviews, Mr Martin said Mr White had indicated legislation would be necessary to restore discretionary medical cards and that Mr Noonan “gave a commitment that those who lost their cards will have them restored. When will the relevant legislation come before the House?”

The Cabinet discussed the issue on Tuesday and “the date for any legislation that may be necessary will be decided when the relevant Bills have been drafted”.

But Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae said the Minister had not clarified the situation about the legislation for the reinstatement of medical cards to those who were “entitled to them in the first place”. Mr Healy-Rae said: “The people deserve clarity.”

Mr Noonan said the Cabinet had a “full discussion” on all the issues relating to medical cards and Dr Reilly and Mr White wo- uld return to Government with proposals within two weeks.

Tipperary South Independent TD Mattie McGrath said the Government took the cards away. “Why can’t you give them back?” he asked Mr Noonan.

Mr Noonan told him if legislation was necessary the Ministers would propose it to Government and “it will be ordered for process in the normal way”.

Mr Healy-Rae said people did not have the luxury of time and Mr McGrath said “they will all be deceased”.

Health insurance

Earlier Mr Martin challenged the Minister about the continuing decline in the number of people holding private health insurance.

Mr Martin said it was a crisis and the health insurance market was experiencing a “downward death spiral”. He said an average of 4,000 people left the market each month in the year to March. “Moreover, 21,000 people have left since the beginning of this year alone.”

He said there had been a “haemorrhaging of young and healthy customers from the market”, leading to much higher premiums for those who remained in the health insurance market and creating huge pressures for the public health system.

Mr Noonan said that at the end of March 2.3031 million people were insured with inpatient health insurance plans.

He said the number of people covered had fallen from a peak in 2008, but Ireland retained “a high level of population holding voluntary private health insurance at 44.2 per cent”.