76. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she will examine the threshold for full medical card entitlement for those over 66 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8791/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

I welcome the opportunity to put this question. I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State beside her, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, on their appointments. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to raise an issue with the Minister in the Dáil, so I wish her the best of luck in her position. She has a big job ahead of her. I want to raise with her the income threshold for medical card entitlements. We have not moved on this for years. It is causing problems. There are a great many people caught there without it who are in desperate need of it. We have the aim of getting to a universal health system but we are caught in this situation now and we need movement on it.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I thank the Minister for her reply. I have another question about people of working age, or people under 66, as they are referred to in the question. This question refers to people over 66 years of age. I have deliberately phrased the questions that way because for people who are under 66, the income thresholds are €184 for a person who is single and €201.50 if you are over 66. The basic rate of social welfare is €50 ahead of that at the moment. For a couple, the figure is €266.50, and for a couple over 66, it is €298. I ask the Minister to picture this. For a couple with two children, €342 is the limit, the income threshold. I checked yesterday. I checked the HSE website and I double-checked on the Citizens Information website to make sure I had not got this wrong. It is a real problem for workers and families. The Minister indicated that she might review it. I ask her to go for it in the next budget.

Sentiment score: -0.03

I thank the Minister for the reply. That is helpful because the GP visit card is welcome. We acknowledge that it is there. The figures she gave mean that, I think, about one in 12 people who are entitled to it have applied for it and got it, or one in 11 or something like that. Obviously, there is a big piece of work there for the Government and all of us to try to get the word out there on that. It is important that we get people into primary care and that we are able to treat them in primary care because many people neglect their own health due to health costs and they finish up with a more chronic condition in some accident and emergency unit. Obviously, that is not the place we want them to be. It is bad not only for their health and for outcomes but also for financial management within the HSE. We are supposed to be moving towards a universal health system under Sláintecare. As I understand it, we have less than two years left to do that. This is one thing we can do, but I wholeheartedly welcome the GP visit card. We need to go the whole way and we need to start moving up the income limits. I think the Minister will agree that a €184 income threshold in 2025 is just off the Richter scale. She mentioned the balance. The seesaw is tipped too much against those on lower incomes.

Sentiment score: 0.16