Written answers

Tuesday, 9 July 2019

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of John BrassilJohn Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of providing free general practitioner care to children aged seven and eight years. [29793/19]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government intends to extend GP care without fees to all children aged between 6 and 12 years on a phased basis, starting in 2020. Legislative changes will be required to give effect to this extension.

It is not possible at this time to give an estimate of the cost of extending GP care without fees to this cohort of the population. The fees payable to GPs for this service will be determined following consultations with GP representatives on the scope and content of the general practitioner service to be provided.

As part of the recent agreement reached on GP contractual reforms and service developments, the IMO has agreed that it will engage with the Department of Health and the HSE in relation to the contractual aspects of this service in advance of implementation.  

Following these consultations, an appropriate fee for the provision of the service by GPs will be set under the Public Services Pay and Pensions Act 2017.

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