COMMENT

AMID all the doom and gloom of Budget 2014, there was at least some good news for hard-pressed families with the inclusion of free GP care for children under the age of five.

Cynics may suggest that the Government had one eye on next year’s local and European elections in introducing the measure. But to be fair to Minister James Reilly, it is a first step in his commitment to introduce universal GP care for everyone.

Not everyone is happy. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) described the announcement as a

“political stunt

? and some GPs are concerned that it will place added pressure on private practices.

It might have been more sensible for the Government to secure the full agreement of the medical profession before committing to it.

Any benefit that is universally applied across all sections of society will face criticism. Some will question the logic of granting free GP care to children from wealthy families. Others will wonder if the system will be open to abuse, with even the most minor ailments resulting in repeat visits to busy GP clinics.

In principle, however, it is hard to argue with the merits of providing free GP treatment to children in that age bracket. Early diagnosis of potentially serious conditions will be caught in cases where parents might not have had the money for a trip to the doctor.

I think it’s safe to assume that Minister Reilly’s heart is in the right place on this one. Let’s hope he now makes a speedy decision on the provision of funding for bilateral cochlear implants for deaf children. Around

?¬12.5 million is required initially to fund the programme.

Given all the money we’ve squandered on bailing out the banks, it would be great to get a real return for our investment in these children.

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