asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of widescale hardship caused to the public as a result of a withdrawal of medical cards in the North-Western Health Board area, especially in County Donegal; and if he will intervene in the matter.

While I am aware that there has recently been a reduction in the number of persons covered by medical cards in the North-Western Health Board area, I am not aware that this has caused widespread hardship.

A decision on whether a person is entitled to a medical card is a statutory function of a chief executive officer and I do not propose to intervene in the matter.

If the Minister is aware, as he has indicated, I heard him here, and it is very difficult to hear anything up here——

Maybe the Deputy should come down here.

Is the Minister inviting him?

For Question Time.

But not thereafter.

Has the Minister indicated in his reply that he is aware of there being some complaints from that part of the country? Is that what he said?

No, I have no complaints.

Well, the Minister has them now.

Question No. 27.

I want to ask the Minister whether he will investigate the situation, as I know it obtains and as I am sure the Ceann Comhairle knows it obtains, that in recent times there has been a large number of cards withdrawn, reinvestigations taking place, pensioners and unemployment assistance recipients, including small farmers, being denied these cards or having them taken from them, and that there is not any clear definition of who is entitled to them. In fact, so far as the administration locally is concerned, as a result of a recent change in staff nobody can find out why they are being denied cards or on what grounds they are being denied them. I would ask the Minister to look into this matter?

(Cavan-Monaghan): Could the Minister give us the number of cards withdrawn in the last three months in the North-Western Health Board area?

The situation is that there are income guidelines which are uniformly applied throughout the country. If there is any change in the situation in Donegal it simply means that people are exceeding those guidelines. There is no change in the guidelines being applied.

(Cavan-Monaghan): There is a hunt on.

The simple position is that the percentage of the population covered by medical cards in Donegal is far higher than in any other part of the country.

That is totally misleading. Might I ask the Minister whether the increase of some thousands he has indicated——

Eleven.

——in the number enjoying cards who did not heretofore enjoy them is uniform throughout the health boards, or is there a disparity in the actual percentage increase of people holding cards as between different boards?

The figure I have at present is 11,000 for the country as a whole. I am sure I can get the breakdown for the Deputy. The position is that the guidelines are uniform throughout the country. If there is any particular area in the country where a number of people are being refused medical cards this is simply because they exceed the guidelines. I have also pointed out that, in addition to the guidelines, the chief executive officer has statutory authority to deal with any cases of hardship.

One final supplementary on this matter. In view of the fact that I and other Deputies are receiving increasing numbers of complaints and that from our own experience of the operation of the card system over a long number of years we are satisfied it is unfair and unjust, will the Minister not take that into account and have some investigation carried out?

I can supply the Deputy with the guidelines. If he or any other Deputy can establish that in any case the guidelines are not being adhered to, then that is a matter I will look into.

The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.

I wish to have a written reply to question No. 160 on today's Order Paper.

The Deputy shall have the written reply.