LIMERICK Fianna Fáil Minister Niall Collins has urged families to register for free GP visit cards for children aged 6 and 7.
Since earlier this month, the Under 6s GP Visit Card scheme has been expanded to provide free GP care to all children under the age of 8 in Ireland.
More than 78,000 children are set to benefit from the change.
The move represents the first stage in the biggest expansion in eligibility for free GP care covering up to half a million people.
The expansion of the scheme is supported by the landmark agreement between the Department of Health, the HSE, and the Irish Medical Organisation signed last month which put in place a series of financial supports for GPs.
“I’m delighted that my party colleague Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has expanded free GP care to under 8s. Families can now register their children aged 6 and 7 for their free GP visit card.
“Fianna Fáil in Government is committed to making healthcare more affordable for families. This is one of a number of measures that our party while in Government has introduced to make sure that that cost is not a barrier to children accessing healthcare. This move will undoubtedly be of huge benefit to children and their families.”
The expansion of free GP care to children aged 6 and 7 is the first stage of the expansion in eligibility for GP care without charges under the GP Agreement 2023. It will be followed by the expansion of free GP care to people earning up to the median income in September and November this year.
In total, about 500,000 additional individuals are estimated to become eligible under this expansion, some 78,000 children aged 6 and 7 and 430,000 individuals earning up to the median income.
