Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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296. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing free general practitioner care for persons undergoing long-term mental health treatment. [12106/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for medical/GP visit cards are determined by the Health Service Executive. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure and every application must be assessed on that basis. Under the legislation, having a particular illness, in itself, does not establish eligibility for a medical or GP visit card and therefore, the medical conditions of applicants for this scheme are not monitored on that basis. Where the applicant's income is within the income guidelines, a medical card or GP visit card will be awarded.

In the absence of information on the numbers and the individual income of all persons undergoing long term mental health treatment, it is not possible to calculate the cost of providing free GP care for this cohort.