I propose to take Questions Nos. 590, 601 and 634 together.
In making arrangements for the provision of publicly funded GP services, under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme, an arrangement was negotiated between my Department and the GP representative body, the Irish Medical Organisation. The provisions of this agreement took the form of the current GMS GP Capitation Contract. This contract is a treatment based contract and gives effect to the statutory requirement to provide free GP medical and surgical services to eligible people which includes people aged 70 and over who are automatically entitled to a medical card. The contract stipulates that the fees paid to GMS GPs are not made in respect of certain 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'. As these non-treatment type services are outside the GMS GP contract it is a matter between the GP and the person seeking the particular services to agree a fee.
While certificates for driving licence applications are provided by medical practitioners they are not a medical treatment service and are not considered a core aspect of public health service provision. Requiring such services to be provided within the terms of the GMS GP contract would more than likely lead to a costly counterclaim by GPs which if allowed would not represent appropriate or best use of resources in terms of current health policy.