The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said yesterday that she hoped to introduce shortly a measure requiring GPs and dentists to display price lists.
The director of Consumer Affairs, Ms Carmel Foley, has requested Ms Harney to make an order under the Consumer Information Act which would require doctors, dentists, and allied health professionals to display their prices in the same way as restaurants and hairdressers are legally bound to do.
Yesterday, the Tánaiste told The Irish Times that she would always take a request from Ms Foley very seriously. "I would be very supportive about giving information to consumers as it always helps to empower them," she said.
Ms Harney said she wanted to meet Ms Foley within the next few days to discuss the technicalities. "The principle is obviously something I'm very positive about and I want to see how you can introduce it to make it effective," the Tánaiste said. She wanted to discuss how they might make the order a reality.
"I'm not a medic so I want to make sure we would be comparing like with like. I mean a check-up is an easy thing to say, the price of a check-up, but then you get into the different things you go to a doctor for, I'd say it would be a long list," Ms Harney said.
She said she just wanted to get something that was effective and practical and that people could understand, maybe taking the main things that people used doctors and dentists for without having to prescribe every single item.
"I just want to discuss it. I don't rule anything in or out. Basically I'm very positive about it and just want to see how we can make it happen," she said.
Asked if after the meeting with Ms Foley, it would be a long process before the order was made, Ms Harney said: "I believe in doing things quickly. I mean, somebody would have to technically draft it and make sure it stands up legally.
"It may take a couple of weeks but I think we should be able to do it in weeks if possible."