Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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708. To ask the Minister for Health the plans his Department has to reduce general practitioner visit fees in line with troika obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32663/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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There are no troika obligations requiring the reduction of fees paid to General Practitioners (GPs). There was a commitment in the EU/IMF programme which required the introduction of legislative changes to remove restrictions to trade and competition in sheltered sectors, including eliminating restrictions on GPs wishing to treat public patients. This is the only reference to GPs in the programme. The Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Act 2012 delivered on that commitment. This Act eliminated restrictions on GPs wishing to obtain contracts to treat public patients under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme by opening up access to GMS contracts to all fully qualified and vocationally trained GPs.