Huge medical card drop

Health data: Co Kildare and south Tipperary are the only parts of the State in which the number of people with medical cards has actually risen since the current Government came into power in 1997.

New figures released by the Department of Health reveal there were more than 100,000 fewer people covered by the medical card scheme in September 2004 than there were in January 1997 just before the current Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats coalition was elected.

The Department of Health figures show that in January 1997 there were 1.252 million people covered by the medical card scheme which provides free general practitioner care as well as free drugs and medicines.

In September 2004 the numbers covered by the scheme had fallen to 1.151 million.

The Department of Health figures, which were drawn up in response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Breda Moynihan-Cronin, show the number of people with medical cards has fallen right across the country with the exception of Kildare and south Tipperary.

In Kildare the number of people covered by the scheme increased from 35,004 in 1997 to 37,391 in September 2004. In Tipperary South Riding, the number of people with medical cards rose by just over 1,000 during the period from 27,309 to 28,459.

In Dublin the number of people covered by the medical card scheme fell by just under 10,000 from 282,872 in 1997 to 273,582 last month.

In Cork there were just under 8,000 fewer people covered by the medical card scheme, with numbers falling from 139,370 in 1997 to 131,273 in September 2004.

One of the most dramatic reductions in the number of people with medical cards was recorded in Co Mayo where the numbers covered by the scheme fell by more than 8,000 to 47,635 over the past seven years.

The Irish Medical Organisation, which represents general practitioners, has strongly criticised the Government for failing to increase the financial thresholds for qualification for medical cards in recent years. At present, the income threshold for a medical card is around €258 per week for a family of four.

Fianna Fáil in its 2002 election manifesto promised to provide funding to allow an additional 200,000 people to be covered by the medical card scheme. To date, no progress has been made on this commitment although the previous Minister for Health, Mr Martin promised that it would be implemented over the lifetime of the Government.

The new Minister for Health, Ms Harney, last week said she was not in favour of moving towards free GP service for everyone but signalled her intention to raise the income threshold for qualifying for a medical card.

The Labour spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus said yesterday after obtaining the figures: "Despite their many promises to increase medical card eligibility, the truth is that both Fianna Fáil and the PDs in Government have presided over a radical reduction in the number of people able to secure this protection.

"These figures prove that the promise to deliver more medical cards to people on low incomes was a sham. "