Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Health the reason the cost of a medical which persons over 70 years of age must undergo in order to renew their drivers' licences is not covered by a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19990/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold medical cards or GP visit cards with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP. The contract between the HSE and GPs under the GMS Scheme stipulates that fees are not paid to GPs by the HSE in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences".

Consultation fees charged by general practitioners to private patients and to GMS patients outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and the patients. While I have no role in relation to such fees, I would expect clinicians to have regard to the overall economic situation in setting their fees. I should add that General Practitioners who hold GMS contracts with the HSE must not seek or accept money from medical card or GP visit card holders in respect of routine treatment.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.