Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 210: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the cost of extending general practitioners-only card to the rest of the population who are not covered by any medical card. [38041/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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On the basis of the figures provided by the Health Service Executive, shared services, primary care reimbursement service, formerly the General Medical Services (Payments) Board, the estimated additional cost of extending GP visit cards to the rest of the population, who are not covered by a medical card or a GP visit card and taking account of the 200,000 GP visit cards for which funding of €50 million has been provided to the Health Service Executive, would be in the region of €705 million.

The estimate does not take into account any fee increases which would apply under the terms of the Labour Relations Commission's recommendation of 20 June 2005 or any additional costs which might result from future industrial relations negotiations.