1142. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she will commit to issuing immediate guidance to community pharmacies to ensure that no medical card holder is charged privately for salbutamol nebules or clinically required alternatives while supply issues persist. [6503/26]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
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Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Medical Cards.
68 questions match, newest first.
2080. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 905 of 9 December 2025, if her Department receives, holds, or reviews data from the primary care reimbursement service on medical card eligibility decisions where discretion is exercised following a means assessment; the number of such discretionary eligibility decisions made in respect of persons aged over 70 in each of the …
1010. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the work, governance structure, timelines and outputs of the Programme of Work Underway within her Department examining the medical card eligibility framework; and to specify whether this work includes an assessment of approval trends for discretionary medical cards for people aged over 70. [71983/25]
1011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department holds trend analysis or internal reports on discretionary medical card approvals, refusals and approval rates for people aged over 70 since 2020; and to provide a summary of any findings. [71984/25]
1056. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for a full medical card from persons aged 70 years and over that were refused in each of the years 2020 to 2025, and the income thresholds applied in each year that formed the basis for refusal. [72240/25]
1057. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the median and upper-quartile income of applicants aged 70 years and over who were refused a Medical Card in each of the years 2020 to 2025, and the proportion whose means exceeded the threshold by fifty euro per week or less. [72241/25]
1059. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed whether the continued rise in GP Visit Cards issued automatically to applicants aged 70 years and over indicates unmet need for full medical card coverage within this population; and the actions taken in response at policy level. [72243/25]
1060. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has reviewed the administrative process required of persons aged 70 years and over when applying for a medical card, and whether any reforms are planned to streamline or reduce the documentation burden for older applicants. [72244/25]
903. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if changes have been made since 2020 to the eligibility criteria or decision-making principles applied by the HSE when assessing discretionary medical card applications for people aged over 70 who exceed the income threshold but face high medical or living costs; and to publish any such changes. [69346/25]
904. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the circulars, directives, guidance notes, or interpretative instructions issued by her Department or the HSE since 2020, relating to the assessment of discretionary medical card applications for people aged over 70; and to make these documents available. [69347/25]
905. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical card applications received for people aged over 70, the number approved, the number refused, and the resulting approval rate from 2020 to 2025, by year; and whether the Department has reviewed these trends. [69348/25]
906. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the decline in discretionary medical cards issued to people aged over 70 against the documented annual growth in the over-70 population; and to provide the analysis carried out. [69349/25]
907. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if medical inflation and increased costs of essential healthcare for older persons including GP visits, medications, diagnostics and home-care supports are factored into her Department’s approach to discretionary medical card policy; and the way in which such cost pressures are considered. [69350/25]
908. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out a review of governance, consistency, or fairness in discretionary medical card decision-making for people aged over 70 since 2020; if so to provide the findings; and if not, the reason no such review has taken place. [69351/25]
909. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has evaluated if current income thresholds, hardship definitions, or supporting-documentation requirements for discretionary medical cards remain appropriate for the needs of people aged over 70; and to set out any planned revisions. [69352/25]
910. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has examined the impact of rising household costs including energy, rent, utilities and food on older persons who are above the income threshold but have high unavoidable expenses; and whether this has informed discretionary medical card policy. [69353/25]
911. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the budgetary provision allocated for discretionary medical cards for older persons in each year from 2020 to 2025; and whether any changes in funding have influenced approval trends during this period. [69354/25]
912. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has undertaken equality or vulnerability impact assessment regarding the sharp reduction in discretionary medical card approvals for persons aged over 70 since 2020; and to provide any assessment conducted. [69355/25]
463. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current income thresholds used for assessing medical card eligibility for persons aged 70 years and over; when they were last reviewed; and the evidence base used in that review. [68708/25]
464. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has conducted any assessment of whether the current income thresholds for over-70s are aligned with the cost of living for that age group; and if she will provide details of any such assessment. [68709/25]
466. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s whose medical card applications were discontinued due to incomplete documentation or verification requests in each of the years 2020 to 2025; and the number subsequently resubmitted. [68711/25]
467. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average processing time for medical card applications submitted by persons aged 70 years and over in each of the years 2020 to 2025, including the longest recorded waiting time. [68712/25]
468. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s who reported financial hardship, delayed medical care, or difficulty accessing medication following the refusal of a medical or GP visit card since 2020; and if such data is recorded. [68713/25]
469. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out any review of the decision-making accuracy in over-70s medical card assessments since 2020; and the findings of that review, including identified error rates. [68714/25]
470. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s who had an existing medical card withdrawn following a means review in each year since 2020, broken down by year. [68715/25]