Written answers

Tuesday, 28 June 2022

Department of Health

General Practitioner Services

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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854. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated amount that it would cost to extend free general practitioner care to children under nine years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34127/22]

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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855. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated amount that it would cost to extend free general practitioner care to children under 12 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34128/22]

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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856. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated amount that it would cost to extend free general practitioner care to children under 15 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34129/22]

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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857. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated amount that it would cost to extend free general practitioner care to children under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34130/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 854 to 857, inclusive, together.

As per the Programme for Government, the Government is committed to increasing access to GP care without charges for more children, 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. 

My officials and the HSE are engaged in preparatory work for the commencement of the initial stage of the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under, the provision of GP care without fees to all children aged 6 and 7.  Consultations with the IMO, representing GPs, are currently underway with the intention of introducing this service this year.

The consultations with the IMO include discussions on the scope of services to be provided and the rate of fees payable to GPs for the provision of that service, variables that will affect the cost of the service. For this reason, it is not possible to give an estimate of the cost of extending GP care without fees to all children aged under 9 years of age. Similarly, it is not possible to give an estimate of the cost of extending GP care without fees to further cohorts of the population.

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