Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State said at the outset that he has a vision for primary care, but it became clear as he neared the end of his reply that he has no vision because there are no actual plans in place to deal with what the Government committed to in its programme for Government. It is evident there has been no increase in funding in respect of primary care and that the continuing withdrawal of discretionary medical cards is what is funding the roll-out of free GP care for children aged under six years. For this not to be the case would have required the Government to increase the budget over and above what is currently provided. The Government has not done that. There has been a systematic reduction in terms of the availability of discretionary medical cards to people who held them based on illness and need owing to medical conditions.

The Minister of State said a consultative process was in place. There has been no consultation with GPs. The contract was published by the Minister, the Minister of State and their officials with no consultation on the matter. Had there been some consultation there might have been an embracing of the contract. As I understand it, there has been no embracing of this contract by GPs. It is an onerous and restrictive contract which forces GPs to choose between people who hold medical cards and those with discretionary medical cards, granted to them based on illness and need rather than age.

See this speech in context