Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader for a debate on GP care. I have received correspondence from Sutton, in my own part of the world, indicating that a GP there is now charging between €20 and €30 for blood tests. I also note the comments of the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, suggesting that GP visits for children could cost between €5 and €10, which is a row back of the scheme brought in by the last Government. Even though GP care for children up to 12 years of age was provided for in the budget before the most recent general election, it has not happened yet. My worry is that free GP care is not being expanded and rolled out further. Instead, it is being curtailed, and individual GPs are making their own decisions as to how much they will charge for something as simple as a blood test. I understand that this particular GP is also encouraging people to go to Beaumont Hospital rather than provide the blood test in his own surgery. I would very much appreciate a debate on free GP care in this House.

To the people of the great state of Alabama, I send congratulations from this House. They have managed to defeat one racist and homophobic sex offender and, hopefully, the other racist, homophobic sex offender in the White House will soon have a similar fate.