Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

GPs criticised the budgetary announcements around an increase in the number of GP visit cards, saying that this will result in more visits from the members of a certain cohort. I am not a doctor, but the Tánaiste is. There is a large cohort of people who never visit GPs during the year. By contrast, there is the treatment benefit scheme whereby people have annual access to dental, optical, aural and, I am told, non-surgical hair replacement treatment. Would there be a medical benefit to everybody seeing a doctor at least once a year? Would there be a medical benefit to primary students being able to see a dentist, if not once a year then every second year, because the waiting list is huge for the HSE screening service? It is the idea of early intervention, where we could detect what is wrong with people from a dental point of view or medically, through a GP visit, and treat them before it costs a lot more to do so, both in terms of money and human suffering.

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