Discrepancy over free GP care figures

Health Minister James Reilly has stated that introducing free GP care for all will cost up to €402m a year, yet his own department insists that the cost will be less than €332m, a difference of €70m.

Department figures shown to the online journal, the Medical Independent, give a precise cost estimate of €331,767,849 for the free service, based on population, capitation payments for physicians and nurses, and practice support costs.

However, in response to a Dáil question from Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Dr Reilly said that while the cost of providing free GP care for under-5s, as announced in last month’s budget, will cost €37m a year, extending that to the entire population will mean an additional cost of between €330m and €365m.