Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Again, yes, it is about getting a balance, and we want to extend eligibility and reduce costs as much as possible. The very last thing that I or anybody else in this House wants is somebody not getting medical care because of a question of cost. The Government has taken a range of different ways to spread the benefit it is giving to people in the broadest possible way in addition to medical cards. The GP visit card is one. I would love to see 430,000 people taking it up and using it when they need to use it, supplemented by the drugs payment scheme, supplemented by the long-term illness scheme, which I think needs review as well, supplemented by removing the public inpatient charges for children and adults, and supplemented by our extension of contraception. We are trying to reach different groups in the broadest possible way and reduce the cost of medicine and access to medicine. In addition, all children under the age of eight years and all people aged 70 and over are now automatically eligible for a GP visit card. On the basis that most of our primary care is attempted to be delivered through the GP and primary care network closest to home and getting the original access, it is a really important step. I encourage every Deputy to encourage their constituents to check if they are eligible.

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