Health Act, 1970

PART IV

Health Services

Chapter I

Eligibility

Full eligibility.

45.—(1) A person in either of the following categories shall have full eligibility for the services under this Part—

(a) adult persons unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants,

(b) dependants of the persons referred to in paragraph (a).

(2) In deciding whether or not a person comes within the category mentioned in subsection (1) (a), regard shall be had to the means of the spouse (if any) of that person in addition to the person's own means.

(3) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, by regulations specify a class or classes of persons who shall be deemed to be within the categories mentioned in subsection (1).

(4) A draft of regulations which it is proposed to make under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the regulations shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each House.

(5) Section 5 (5) of the Health Act, 1947 , shall not apply to regulations under this section.

(6) References in this Part to persons with full eligibility shall be construed as referring to persons in the categories mentioned in subsection (1) or deemed to be within those categories.

(7) Any person who is not in either of the categories mentioned in subsection (1) but who, in relation to a particular service which is available to persons with full eligibility, is considered by the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board to be unable, without undue hardship, to provide that service for himself or his dependants shall, in relation to that service, be deemed to be a person with full eligibility.