Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

781. To ask the Minister for Health the supports that are available for wheelchair users who are in employment and whose wheelchair requires replacement or repair. [28100/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government is committed to providing services and supports for older persons and for people with disabilities which will empower them to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and to plan and live independent lives. There are a range of services in place to protect individuals and families from excessive costs for their medical needs.

Applications to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for a wide range of aids and appliances, including wheelchairs, are made on foot of prescriptions from relevant health care professionals and based on an applicant's eligibility under the Health Act 1970 (as amended). These are primarily the General Medical Services scheme and the Long-Term Illness scheme.

People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be eligible for a medical card under the General Medical Services scheme. In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE. Medical card eligibility is primarily based on an assessment of means and is not granted on the basis of any particular condition.

In certain circumstances the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness. The HSE afford applicants the opportunity to furnish supporting documentation to determine whether undue hardship exists and to fully take account of all relevant circumstances that may benefit them in assessment, including medical evidence of costs and certain expenses.

The Long-Term Illness (LTI) scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975, prescribing 16 illnesses covered by the scheme. These are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida; hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide.

Under the LTI scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.

Applications to the HSE for aids and appliances, such as wheelchairs, are considered by Resource Allocation Groups within each Community Health Organisation and a determination is made regarding approval based on clinical priority and the funding available within local budgets. These products and services play a key role in assisting and supporting people to maintain everyday functioning and to remain living in their homes and local community.