Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome the fact that free GP care will be available for children under the age of six years and people over the age of 70 from the end of June this year. This is a major step forward that will deliver huge savings for families and pensioners and help to promote health and well-being throughout the population. People over 70 years who currently have to pay to see their GP will now be able to access the free service. This is the latest phase in the overall plan to provide free GP care for all citizens. The Government is making progress with plans to roll out free GP care to children under six years. The reason these two groups of citizens are having free GP care services extended to them first is the youngest and oldest members of society have the greatest need for health care services. It is intended that the legislation will be put in place this year and for the service to be introduced alongside the free GP service for children under the age of six years. Free GP care is a fulfilment of the Government's commitment to the introduction of a universal GP service for the entire population on a phased basis. I am pleased to see it is being implemented gradually.

From this summer, up to 300,000 children and senior citizens who currently have to pay to see their GP will no longer have to do so. That is a big step forward in how people across the country, particularly the youngest in society, avail of health care services. Some 240,000 children will be able to benefit from this new development when it takes effect. That will mean real savings for pensioners and families, but it is about much more than this. The new enhanced service covers all children aged under six years, including those who have medical cards already. They will benefit from the management of asthma in general practice and preventive wellness checks. Adults of all ages will benefit from the new diabetes programme, meaning that they will have their condition managed by the GP who knows them, rather than in a hospital clinic.

Under the new arrangements, an additional 240,000 children under six years will benefit from free GP care at the point of service. All children under six years will benefit from the new enhanced service under the proposed GP contract which will involve age-based preventive checks focused on health and well-being and the prevention of disease. These assessments will be carried out when a child is aged two years and again at age five, in accordance with the agreed protocol. The contract will also include an agreed cycle of care for children diagnosed with asthma, in which GPs will carry out an annual review of each child where the doctor has diagnosed asthma.

The extension of free GP care at the point of service to everyone aged 70 years and over who does not currently qualify for this benefit will take effect at the same time as the under-six service. This service will benefit approximately 36,000 new patients and be provided under the existing contractual arrangements for this age cohort.

The negotiations with the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, have also resulted in an agreement on the introduction of a diabetes cycle of care. This will enable patients with a medical card or a GP visit card who have type 2 diabetes to avail of two annual visits to their GP practice for a structured review of their condition. This service will begin in quarter 4 of this year. This initiative will help to integrate care across the continuum of care, improve clinical outcomes for patients and reduce complications often experienced by people with this condition.

Making health care more affordable has long been an objective of the Labour Party in government and underlines its commitment to enhancing primary health care. I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and the Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for primary care, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, for their tenacity in pursuing this project, despite the many barriers they faced along the way. It is certainly fitting that a Labour Party Minister is delivering such a meaningful project, in line with our policy of supporting families and ensuring they share in the economic recovery that is now clearly under way. I warmly commend this legislation to the House.

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