Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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394. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the additional €20 million for the primary care reimbursement service in 2017; the existing services that are being expanded; the new services being provided with this allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5553/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2017 provided an additional €20m in the HSE's budget for the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS).

€10m of the €20m was provided for the implementation of the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to extend medical cards to all children in receipt of the Domiciliary Care Allowance. The implementation of this DCA\Medical Card initiative will mean that all children in respect of whom a DCA payment is made will automatically qualify for a medical card and, therefore, no longer be subject to the medical card means test at any point in the future while in receipt of DCA. In the region of 10,000 children in respect of whom a DCA payment is made and who do not have a Medical Card will benefit under this measure.

A further €10m was provided for a reduction in the prescription charge for over 70s medical card holders. The reduction, to €2 per item with a monthly cap of €20, down from €2.50 per item and €25 a month, will potentially benefit 330,000 medical card holders over 70.

Legislation to facilitate these two initiatives is currently being drafted.