Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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334. To ask the Minister for Health the steps his Department is taking in the short-term, notwithstanding the Government’s commitments to reforms in this area under the Sláintecare plan, to ensure that general practitioners cannot charge excessive fees to patients who do not hold a medical card or general practitioner visit card; the steps his Department is taking in the context of the implementation of Sláintecare to move to a system of universal general practitioner care without charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45835/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS (General Medical Services) contract with the HSE to provide services without charge to patients who hold a medical card or a GP visit card. GPs are reimbursed by the HSE for the provision of those services. Medical and GP visit card holders are not subject to a charge for GP face to face or phone consultations.

People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis. Neither my Department or the HSE have any role in relation to the fees charged by individual GPs for private consultations, as these are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and their patients.

Following the introduction of GP care without charges for all children under 6 years of age in 2015, a phased expansion extending GP care without charges to all children under 13 years of age is now planned that moves towards the Sláintecare objective of access to universal GP care without charges.

As of August, almost approximately 2,090,000 persons hold either a medical card or a GP Visit Card, thus approximately 41.7% of the population currently have access to GP care without fees.

It is estimated that extending GP care without charges to all children under 13 will benefit approximately an additional 285,000 children who would not otherwise be eligible. The first phase of the expansion, extending care without charges to 6- and 7-year olds, is estimated to benefit approximately an additional 77,000 children.

The legislative basis for the expansion is in place. 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. This date will be determined following 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.