Varadkar exploring choice of funding primary care through PRSI and USC

The Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, has signalled the Government may back down on plans for Universal Health Insurance, and provide refunds for GP and dentist visits instead.

Mr Varadkar was speaking at MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal where he said UHI has been a "much bigger project" than anyone thought it would be.

He also said he could not guarantee it would be introduced even in the lifetime of the next government.

He said that funding and financial systems are not able to handle extending universal healthcare through the insurance system, to hospitals.

Mr Varadkar has suggested that PRSI and USC could be used to fund primary care visits instead.

He said: "One option I think will be explored is doing it through PRSI, allowing people to have some of their medical expenses refunded from their social insurance contributions — or, alternatively, going ahead with Universal Health Insurance with Primary Care First.

"Either giving people the option of taking out their own cover, or being covered through social insurance, if they prefer."

— An earlier version of this story referred to universal healthcare. Mr Varadkar's comments were, in fact, about Universal Health Insurance.