Medical cards for released prisoners
Deputy Michael Moynihan questioned why released prisoners seemed to get automatic medical card entitlement while terminal cancer patients did not. The Taoiseach said medical-card eligibility would still depend on income and that legislation was being pursued for other categories.
I asked a question prior to the summer recess about automatic entitlement to a medical card for cancer patients who were terminally ill. The Taoiseach said there was no such automatic entitlement. It now transpires that the HSE has agreed to automatic entitlement for prisoners on release.
How is that organised? Before the summer, the Taoiseach told me there was no automatic entitlement so has there been a change to the legislation? If there are proposed changes to the legislation there should be automatic entitlement for people who suffer from terminal illness.
Comment on this
The Minister is pursuing legislation for the granting of medical cards to those children who are in receipt of domiciliary care allowances. A person released from prison will not, I presume, be in gainful employment any more than a person who loses a job and becomes unemployed. I also presume that income levels relating to eligibility for medical cards would apply.