Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a move now to provide universal access to free GP care. That does not necessarily mean universal access to primary care. There are three or four different types of medical cards now, all of which give people free access to their GP, but they will end up paying for their drugs and may not have access to other services like nursing, physiotherapy and dental services. There is a broad range in regard to the description of primary care.

In respect of salaried GPs, moves are being made in the inner city, where a group called Safetynet is providing GP services. It is actually a GP training scheme, where GPs are hand-picked to train in the inner city. They will work in the inner city, in areas where there might be one GP for every 2,500 people, as opposed to one for every 1,600. These are areas where one can innovate and can handpick GPs who want to work there. In the same way, there are GPs who want to work in a rural area. There need to be supports for all those types of GPs and general practices.

The move to free GP care is not exactly what it says on the tin. Yes, one gets to see one's GP for free, but there are restrictions.