Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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250. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the fulfilment of promises made in budget 2020 to increase the medical card income threshold for persons over 70 years of age, reduce the GMS scheme prescription charge, reduce the drug payment scheme threshold, and extend free general practitioner care for all children under eight years of age; the reason for the delay; the timeline he is working toward to deliver the promises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29210/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recently approved the necessary funding to implement three of the Budget 2020 measures. These are:

- an increase to the gross medical card income limits for those aged 70 and over to €550 per week for a single person and to €1,050 per week for a couple;

- a reduction to the GMS prescription charges by €0.50c for all medical card holders. The charge would be reduced by €0.50c to €1 per item for the over 70s and by €0.50c to €1.50 for persons under 70. The maximum monthly charge would also be reduced to €10 and €15 respectively and;

- the monthly threshold of €124 for the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) will be reduced by €10 to €114 per household.

Officials in my Department are now making the necessary arrangements to ensure the implementation of these measures from 1^stNovember 2020.

Regarding the extension of GP care, the Government is committed to increasing access to GP care without charges for children, which is an important healthcare measure that will remove a potentially prohibitive cost barrier to accessing GP care and will help to improve children’s health as they develop.

The appropriate date for commencing the expansion remains under consideration in light of COVID-19 and the additional pressures the expansion might place on general practice in that context and in anticipation of the usual increase in demand for healthcare services over the winter period. This date will be determined in consultation with the IMO. It is important to ensure that any additional pressures placed on general practice will not limit its capacity to meet the needs of all patients in the community.