The Last Post
Matt Cooper: Free GP care proposal raises issues of practicality over cost
The price of extending free doctor visits to all citizens is estimated at €880 million a year, but there are bigger questions around GP shortages, pay rates and financial responsibility
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has assessed the idea of free GP care for all, and estimated that it would cost up €880 million in a year to deliver it to all citizens. A government that ran a surplus last year of €5 billion of income over expenditure should be well able to afford this. However, such repeated surpluses are unlikely, which should give any government pause for thought.
The idea of free ...
