Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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1934. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children under six years of age of the qualifying cohort who are able to avail of free general practitioner care, given the difficulty of families in being added to general practitioner practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30974/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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All children under the age of 6 are entitled to a GP visit card and therefore access to GP care without charges. Information on what services are available for children under 6 and how to apply for a under 6s GP visit card is available from the HSE website.

Where a GMS patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept him/her as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list. Likewise, a parent on behalf of a child GMS patient who experiences difficulty in finding a GP that will accept their child as a patient can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit also.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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1935. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children under six years of age in north County Kildare who qualify for under six free general practitioner care; the number who are availing of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30975/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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All children under the age of 6 are entitled to a GP visit card and therefore access to GP care without charges. As of the 1st of May, 249,882 children under 6 years hold a GP visit card and a further 81,489 hold a medical card. Furthermore, 13,479 children under 6 years in Local Health Office (LHO) Kildare/West Wicklow hold a GP visit card and 3,304 hold a medical card. It is not possible to provide a breakdown further than by LHO.

Where a GMS patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept him/her as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list. Likewise, a parent on behalf of a child GMS patient who experiences difficulty in finding a GP that will accept their child as a patient can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit also.