Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Minister for Health the reason funding was cut under the general practitioner contract for the insertion of contraceptive medical devices for medical card patients, with the resultant hardship this has caused; if he will undertake to restore this funding support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27599/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, GPs are reimbursed for a range of services they provide to medical card and GP visit card holders.There has been no change to the list of special items of service under the GMS contract. This list of special items includes provision for the payment of a fee to GPs in respect of the fitting of a diaphragm, and related services. The current payment rates are set out in Statutory Instrument No. 277 of 2013, the Health Professionals (Reduction of Payments to General Practitioners) Regulations 2013, which are publicly available on the Irish Statute Book's website at www.irishstatutebook.ie. Schedule 4 sets out the fees payable for the relevant services under the GMS Capitation Contract, while Schedule 15 relates to the Fee per Item Contract.

There were reductions in fees paid under the GMS contract between 2009 and 2013 in line with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2009. These reductions applied to all fees and allowances, including payments for special items. There have been no reductions made since 2013.

The new contract for GP services without fees for children under 6 years has been introduced with effect from 1st July last. This includes both a capitation rate and fees in respect of special items where relevant, but not those such as the fitting of a diaphragm that do not arise in this age group.