asked the Minister for Health the extra cost of providing full comprehensive hospital services to those between the ages of 16 and 25 years from whom general medical services have been withdrawn.

All persons between the ages of 16 and 25 years who were eligible for medical cards prior to the coming into operation of the Health Services (No. 3) Regulations, 1983, had full eligibility for free hospital services. This eligibility has not been altered by the regulations. There is therefore no extra cost involved in providing hospital services for these persons.

Does the Minister accept that he has been making a virtue out of the fact that he was allowing students, irrespective of their parents' income, to retain full, comprehensive hospital services, including consultant services because, in fact, it will not cost the Exchequer anything? I should also like to ask the Minister how he proposes to implement this decision.

It is contained within the regulation, and all matters relating to this decision have been notified to the health boards and other hospital agencies. I do not want to be giving too many examples but 10 per cent of the population earn over £13,000 per annum. Even a student in a family who have an income of £20,000 per year who requires hospital treatment will have free consultant services, free maintenance in a public ward irrespective of his parents' income. As the Deputy knows, the general limit for the population as a whole is £11,000. People over that amount are obliged to pay for conultant services or to be covered by the VHI——

The Minister has gone very far outside the question.

Would the Minister say if this is in conflict with the policy he has been advocating here all afternoon, that those who can afford to pay for their services should pay for them and if parents happen to be millionaires——

That is argument.

I should also like to ask the Minister — I did ask him but he did not answer — how he proposes to implement this scheme? Does he propose to issue hospital service cards to all students and, if so, has he consulted the medical profession in this regard?

There are many things about which I should like to consult the medical profession but I do not want to raise any more hares as I have enough on hands at present. I did not remove consulant services from students because I had more than enough to handle already. I do not think I should be tempted in that direction despite the obvious merit the Deputy has put forward in his observation.

Would the Minister accept that he made a wrong decision, that he should have left the medical cards with students and perhaps have looked at the hospital services which he agrees are the most expensive——

That question has been put about 25 times already today and answered.

12.