It has been announced that children aged 6 and 7 will be able to avail of free GP care in the coming weeks.
This free GP care will be extended to roughly 78,000 six and seven-year-old children nationwide from August 11.
The Government has revealed this extension of free GP care will also be given to families that earn less than the median income from September, meaning 430,000 other people will also qualify.
Children aged six and seven won’t have to be means-tested in order to receive free GP care, but families that previously didn’t qualify for free GP care will be means tested under new relaxed tests.
Once this extension has been carried out, which will have to be done in phases, 500,000 more people in Ireland will have free access to GP care.
This news means those who now qualify won’t have to pay to visit their GP, which can cost up to €70 per visit.
When speaking about the free GP care extension, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated, “More than half the people in the country won’t have to pay to see their GP. That’s the first time that’s ever been achieved”.
“It will help with the cost of living. The main beneficiaries, of course, will be working families who don’t currently qualify… It’s another important step to achieve universal healthcare”.
