Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health. As the House will know, the Government is committed to increasing access to GP care for more children. Following the provision of GP care without charges for all children under six years of age, the Government plans to expand GP care without charges to all children up to and including the age of 12 on a phased basis, beginning with all children aged six and seven.

Having a healthy childhood can provide the basis for having good health in adult life. Removing cost as a potential barrier for more children will reduce the financial burden on young families in accessing GP care. Improved access to GP services can help build the relationship between the GP and the patient and help increase the likelihood that conditions requiring ongoing care are identified at an earlier stage. The Senator made a valid point. A normal temperature in a child can spike rapidly so it should not be cost-prohibitive for families to access GP care. I reared three children. All three could get sick in one week and I could have three visits very quickly, not to mention 12.

Currently all children aged under six years have automatic eligibility to a GP visit card and therefore have access to GP services without charges. Legislation enacted in 2020 provides for the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under in three phases - children aged six and seven, children aged eight and nine and children aged ten, 11 and 12.

It was previously intended to commence the first phase of the expansion - the provision of GP care without charges to all children aged six and seven - from September 2020. However, it was necessary to reconsider the commencement date due to the emergence of Covid-19 and in recognition of the increased pressure that this expansion could place on GPs. General practice continues to play a vital role in combating the Covid-19 pandemic. There has been an increased demand for GP services during this time and the provision of those services has been made more difficult. In addition, GPs have been called upon to provide additional services, including referring patients for Covid-19 testing, as appropriate, and helping to administer Covid-19 vaccinations, largely to older and more vulnerable persons. It is important to ensure that additional pressures placed on general practice do not limit its capacity to meet the needs of all patients in the community.

Notwithstanding that, I am pleased to say that budget 2022 has provided for the expansion this year of GP care without charges to children aged six and seven. The Department of Health and the HSE are now working on the roll-out of the expansion. This will, of course, require consultations with the IMO to agree the contractual terms. When commenced, it is estimated that this first phase of the expansion will provide GP care without charges for up to approximately 80,000 additional children aged six and seven.

More generally, the Government has taken numerous steps to increase capacity in general practice to allow for the expanding of GP care without charges over time and on a phased basis, as proposed by Sláintecare. In particular, expenditure on general practice has been significantly increased under the 2019 GP agreement and measures have been introduced to make general practice more sustainable. It is also worth noting that the number of entrants to GP training increased from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021, with further increases planned. That is the answer the Minister gave to me. I am conscious the Senator had conversations with him since I received my script and I hope he had positive news for her.