asked the Minister for Health how means are assessed for medical card holders who get their income from small farms.

When an applicant for a medical card is engaged in farming his means are assessed on the basis of his income from all sources including the sale of produce and stock, social welfare payments and off-farm earnings, if any. These earnings, and expenses which might be set off against farm income, are then verified by the local community welfare officer. The net income is then assessed against the guidelines which apply to all applicants for medical cards.

With due respect to the Minister, the question I tried to ask was how exactly is the income of small farmers assessed leaving out, as we understand, savings or social welfare payments. If a man has four cows and four calves and a valuation of £10, how do the Department assess his income? That is the information I want.

The Department do not assess him. It is the health boards who assess him.

Is there a standard application form for farmers? Does a similar form apply in the eight health board areas? Is each board entitled to make out its own list of questions for farmers?

I would have thought the Deputy would know the obligation to issue medical cards in appropriate cases is placed by statute on the chief executive officer in each health board.

I know that most unsatisfactory system exists.

Question No. 14.

I have not finished with Question No. 13. Did the Minister ever see one of these application forms which farmers have to complete to get a medical card? Does he know the type of form it is and the type of questions? It is almost impossible for any farmer——

The Deputy may ask a question.

I asked the Minister if he knows the type of form a farmer has to complete. It would take a person from his firm of accountants to complete that form in accordance with the demands of the health authorities.

I have no firm of accountants.

The Minister's former firm.

The Deputy is giving information rather than seeking it.

Small farmers have to complete forms indicating the value of their one quarter acre of potatoes, their rood of turnips, their ten hens, and how much money they got for reactors they sold.

The Deputy is making a speech.

This is a ridiculous system for assessing farmers and I want to voice my disgust with that system.

The Deputy may do that at another time.

I want to bring it to the Minister's notice.