Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is nice to hear an Opposition Member apply common sense. I refer to the previous Opposition speaker who called a spade a spade and acknowledged that what we were doing was good for young couples and children. It is welcome when Opposition Members refrain from knocking a proposal for the sake of it. I welcome the Bill and commend the Minister for Health for delivering on his commitment to grant free GP care for everybody over the age of 70 years. This is part of the Government's policy of rolling out universal GP care for the entire population.

When my children were very young, I was continually running to the doctor if a child had a temperature or a runny nose because of the risk that it would lead to something more serious. That remains the reality for many young couples. A GP fee of €50 or €60 is a scandalous amount of money to treat a baby that may be only three or four months old. As parents of young children are often anxious and want to do the best for them, they are likely to make multiple trips to their GP. The new arrangements will also alleviate pressure on the children's hospitals because parents are presenting to emergency departments instead of going to their GPs in the first instance.

I have met a significant number of older people who have lost their medical cards and some of them are very angry about it. Most of them worked for their entire lives, but they are being excluded because of their earnings, in many cases from private pension arrangements. The Bill is a step in the right direction because it will give them the opportunity to access GP care. It will also help to reduce the pressure on emergency departments in adult hospitals. If elderly people have the opportunity to visit their GP in the first instance, there is an opportunity to deal with a serious illness at an early stage.

Other speakers referred to primary care services. A number of primary care centres have been established in my constituency, including in Ballyfermot and Inchicore. They have brought huge benefits to everybody, from young to old. I meet people on a daily basis who express the greatest of respect for the successful revitalisation of previously poor quality health centres, with their green walls and smell of disinfectant, which have been replaced by modern facilities where one can see a community nurse, a doctor or a mental health professional. That is a step in the right direction and demonstrates the Government's commitment to dealing with this issue. It has been a slow process and we are under no illusion that it was a struggle for everybody who has had to contend with cuts, but the fact that primary care centres are getting the seal of approval in communities is a hopeful sign that we are doing the right thing.

The Bill is the second step in the Government's phased introduction of universal free GP care, as proposed in the programme for Government in 2011 and restated in 2014. This is the first time that any Government has tried to introduce universal health cover. We have to take small steps because we are not in a financial position to make big leaps. Buckets of money were poured into the health service in the past. I do not know what holes that money filled, but it certainly did not go into local hospitals.

At this critical stage in providing GP care for children under the age of six years, I appeal to GPs to come on board. I acknowledge that they have reasons for their doubts, but care should never be put ahead of profits. I have spoken to a number of GPs who are very much in favour of these changes, but others have complained that they will not have the same level of earnings. We are moving in the right direction. Most doctors take their oath to look after sick people.

When this legislation is enacted, 36,000 people will no longer have to pay for GP visits. This will be an important change for senior citizens because it will remove the financial stress associated with visiting a doctor. Our relationship with GPs is a vital link with the health service and it is important that older people in the community who have health complaints do not struggle to cope alone. The GP is the first port of call for all of us and I believe many GPs will come on board to deliver the services needed.

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