Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 October 2015
71. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of expanding free general practitioner care to children under 12 years of age, as announced on budget day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36575/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to the negotiation of a comprehensive new GP contract with the Irish Medical Organisation. In that context, the Government has provided €10 million for the extension, in the latter part of 2016, of GP care without fees to all children aged 11 years and under. The GP service will be subject to negotiations, which have already commenced, with the IMO in relation to the scope of the service to be provided and the fee arrangements to apply and will be implemented in the context of overall new arrangements and not as a stand alone extension or amendment to the current contract.
