MORE than half the
population of Co Donegal holds a medical card - the
highest proportion in the country, new figures show.
The statistics show that 55 per cent of the county's
population has a medical card compared to the
lowest, 32 per cent, in the greater Dublin area.
The figures were compiled by the Irish Times
newspaper in an analysis piece which also shows
"significant" regional variations in the number of
discretionary medical card holders across the
country.
Laois/Offaly have the highest proportion of
discretionary medical cards followed by Cork city
and county. Waterford, Limerick /Tipperary and
Sligo/Leitrim also have higher than average
proportions of discretionary medical-card holders,
the Irish Times survey shows. It reveals that, after
Co Donegal, Mayo, Waterford and Louth have
relatively high numbers of medical cards.
"The medical card figures were provided by Minister
for Health James Reilly in response to parliamentary
questions from Sinn Féin TDs Peadar Toibín and
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn," the paper noted.
"The discretionary medical card figures were
provided by Minister of State for Primary Care Alex
White in response to a parliamentary question from
Labour TD Ged Nash." |
