State paid out €500 million last year in fees and grants to GPs operating the general medical services scheme
GROSS INCOME received collectively by general practitioners from all sources increased by about 25 per cent in the main years of the boom, according to new figures released by the Department of Finance.
The Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, told the Dáil that, between 2005 and 2007, the amount of gross income from all sources returned by medical practitioners for tax purposes to the Revenue Commissioners increased from €1.091 billion to €1.34 billion.
He said that trading income returned by medical practitioners amounted to €588 million for 2005, €627 million for 2006 and €683 million for 2007.
The Minister was replying to a question from Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, who had asked for details on the aggregate income of all general medical practitioners and dental practitioners in the State between 2005 and 2007 on the basis of data available to the Revenue Commissioners.
Mr Lenihan said the amounts of gross income from all sources returned by dental practitioners were €253 million for 2005, €284 million for 2006 and €320 million for 2007.
The Minister said that, while the accuracy of the particular codes used for tax records – and on which the information provided in the parliamentary reply was based – was sufficient to underpin broad sector-based analyses, “there will undoubtedly be some inaccuracies at individual level”.
“This should be borne in mind when considering the information provided,” he said.
The Irish Timesreported last month that the State paid out more than €500 million last year in fees and grants to general practitioners operating the general medical services scheme.
A report, drawn up by the HSE, showed that the total payments to the 2,200 doctors operating the scheme increased by about €25 million, despite two separate cuts in fees introduced by the Government last year.
However, during the same period the number of people with medical cards increased significantly.
At the beginning of January 2010 there were in excess of 126,000 more people covered by the medical card scheme than there had been 12 months previously. During 2009 the number of people with GP-visit cards increased by more than 12,700.
Most of the fees paid out under the scheme relate to services provided to patients with medical cards. Payments for services such as immunisations are also included.
These payments do not represent income for the doctors concerned, as practice expenses and overheads have to be taken into account. In some cases, a number of doctors in a practice have to be paid from the amounts received in fees from the HSE.
The HSE report also revealed that one dental practice – that of Dr Shane Cadden in Co Mayo – received more than €577,000 last year.
The dental practice of Dr Jerome Kiely in Tipperary received more than €406,000 last year, according to the HSE report.
