LEGISLATION PROVIDING for the phased introduction of free GP care would be passed by the Oireachtas before the summer recess, Minister of State for Health Róisín Shortall told the Dáil. She said it was envisaged that the first phase would provide for the extension of free GP services to persons with illnesses or disabilities.

“A provision of €15 million was made available in the 2012 estimates for the first phase of the programme,” Ms Shortall added.

She had preliminary discussions with the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish College of General Practitioners to outline policy in that area. She expected to have further discussions with GPs and the organisation.

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher said if the legislation was to be published in the middle of this year and then enacted, there would have to be discussions and contractual changes with GPs to deliver the new service.

“While we are talking about free GP care for everybody, we are currently, in Kilkenny and Carlow, counting the number of incontinence pads.” While he was in favour of making GP care available to as many as possible, Mr Kelleher wanted to know what was being done to the elderly in nursing homes.

Ms Shortall said limiting incontinence pads should never have arisen and had been reversed. “It was unfortunate it happened, it should not have happened, and it has been dealt with.”

There would probably need to be a change to the GP contract to begin the process of introducing free care, she said. The existing system operated on a means basis, which was why the Government was introducing legislation to provide by regulation for certain categories to be given a doctor visit card.