Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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228. To ask the Minister for Health the status on the introduction of free general practitioner care to persons under 18 years of age; the increase in general practitioner numbers required to support the additional workload; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27913/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The introduction of GP care without fees to all people over 70 and all children under 6 years of age in 2015 represents a major step forward in improving access, quality and affordability of health care in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to extending in phases, and subject to negotiation with GPs, free GP care to all children under 18 years of age. Legislative changes will be required for any such extension of GP care without fees to further cohorts of the population and the timetable will be subject to the outcome of discussions with GP representatives on this and other contractual matters.

The Government is committed to the continued development of GP capacity to ensure that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future. Several efforts to increase the number of practising GPs have been undertaken in recent years. These include increases in the number of GP training places, which have risen from 120 places in 2009 to 171 places being formally accepted for the 2017 training intake as of 13th June. Changes have been made to the entry provisions to the GMS scheme to facilitate more flexible/shared GMS/GP contracts, and to the retirement provisions for GPs under the GMS scheme. An enhanced supports package for rural GP practices has also been introduced. In addition, the GP contracts review process which is currently underway will seek to arrive at contractual arrangements which will ensure that general practice is an attractive, fulfilling and rewarding career option into the future.

In September 2015, the HSE published a medical workforce planning report on the future demand for GPs in Ireland and identified a current under-supply of GPs. A follow-up review of workforce planning for general practice will be carried out by the HSE in the coming months. The results of this will assist in the development of plans for further expansion in GP training capacity and trainee numbers.