727. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical card applications received for persons aged over 70 in 2025; the number approved; the number refused; the number of appeals lodged following refusals; and, of those appeals, the number granted on review; and the number in which the original decision was upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73690/25]
Topics / Medical Cards
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsMedical Cards
399 questions from 99 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
399
questions
398 written, 1 oral
99
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 6 |
| February 2025 | 24 |
| March 2025 | 23 |
| April 2025 | 18 |
| May 2025 | 31 |
| June 2025 | 15 |
| July 2025 | 14 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 14 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 33 |
| December 2025 | 43 |
| January 2026 | 24 |
| February 2026 | 29 |
| March 2026 | 15 |
| April 2026 | 20 |
| May 2026 | 18 |
| June 2026 | 28 |
| July 2026 | 14 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 13 |
| October 2026 | 13 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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68
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38
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14
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10
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10
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9
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8
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7
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
752. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health her position on the provision of medical cards for patients in end-stage kidney disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73733/25]
373. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if she will increase the qualifying income limits for a medical card in respect of senior citizens (over 70), as these limits have not been increased in years and are totally out of line with the cost of living crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72676/25]
387. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action being taken by her Department to ensure patients with a lung cancer diagnosis are awarded a medical card in a timely manner and that they have the necessary support post diagnosis and post operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72779/25]
388. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if due consideration will be given to reviewing the current eligibility criteria for medical cards to allow cancer patients to be automatically awarded medical cards when diagnosed and to ensure they have the necessary support post diagnosis and post operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72780/25]
422. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the cost to equalise the treatment of PRSI contributors with that of medical card holders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73085/25]
906. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if she will give consideration to providing greater flexibility within the medical card means test so that experienced professionals in essential services such as mental health and child welfare can take on occasional additional hours without losing their medical card; the way in which this could support workforce capacity in sectors experiencing significant staff…
921. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card holders attached to a GP service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71492/25]
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]
288. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if parents/guardians are legally entitled to see/receive medical records for their 17-year old child who has been given an ADHD diagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70598/25]
322. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if she will examine the introduction of a subsidy or exemption for medical card holders and older patients using monitored dose systems, given pharmacies will continue charge privately from January 2026. [70617/25]
892. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the reason carer’s allowance is taken into account for the over 70 medical card income assessment, as its inclusion is putting many people over the income threshold for a medical card and is a disincentive to take up important caring, duties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69297/25]
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]