Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not a dentist, so I cannot comment on the dental question. As a doctor, the jury is out on the idea of an annual checkup, quite frankly. Sometimes annual checkups pick up illnesses and abnormalities that would not be picked up until later. Sometimes early intervention can result in better outcomes, but it can also result in a large number of unnecessary investigations. The Deputy will know of people who have been for a health check and were sent off for any number of tests, all of which came back normal. Not only does that increase anxiety, it sometimes results in the waste or misuse of resources. That always has to be borne in mind. What we have agreed in the budget in an expansion of GP care without fees to more people. Government will be keen to engage with the Irish Medical Organisation on how we can realise that over the next couple of years.

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