Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013
1520. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if the medical exam required for the purposes of a driver licence renewal for over 70 year olds is covered under the GMS scheme; if not, if he will confirm if there are plans to include same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38252/13]
View answer1584. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the reason the medical card does not cover the cost of a medical with a general practitioner for an over 70s drivers licence, particularly when the eye sight test is covered by the medical card for the same purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38744/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1520 and 1584 together.
Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold medical cards or GP visit cards with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP.
The contract between the HSE and GPs under the GMS Scheme stipulates that fees are not paid to GPs by the HSE in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences". There are no plans at present to amend the GMS contract in this regard.
Consultation fees charged by general practitioners to private patients and to GMS patients outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the clinicians and the patients. While I have no role in relation to such fees, I would expect clinicians to have regard to the overall economic situation in setting their fees.
