Income received from carer's allowance is disregarded in medical card applications. However, the issue is that if a person applies for carer's allowance and a medical card at the same time, a decision is not made on the medical card until a decision is made on the carer's allowance even though that income is disregarded. As the Tánaiste is aware, a decision on carer's allowance takes up to five months. Therefore, a person must wait up to five months before a decision on a medical card can be made even though the income from carer's allowance is disregarded. This is causing big problems. It is a very straightforward issue. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, to, please, deal with it because it is a big problem for constituents of every Member of the House.

Although I do not doubt the Deputy's bona fides, I would be surprised if the Department makes a judgment based on-----

That is the case.

It is.

The Minister of State can hear the echoes. It is the case.

I will look into the matter because it is difficult to understand how a judgment or assessment would be made based on something that might happen in the future. I would have thought applications would be assessed based on the situation here and now, rather than on something that may be granted in the future. I will look into the matter and revert to the Deputy. I thank him for highlighting it.