I raise with the Tánaiste the extension of the free GP care scheme to children aged under eight. This has been on the cards for some time. In fact, the timeline for delivery was the end of last year. That time has come and gone and children aged six and seven still do not have their free GP cards. The parents of these 80,000 children want to see the scheme introduced before their kids age out of it. My understanding is that talks on the contract are still ongoing. Will the Tánaiste provide us with an update on it because people are struggling now and this scheme cannot come quickly enough for the cohort of parents with children aged six and seven? Nor can the training and recruitment of GPs come quickly enough, as the shortage of same is impacting and we can feel the effect in my community. When will the scheme for six- and seven-year olds come into play?

I can confirm that the scheme is broadening by about 430,000 men, women and children in the coming months, so that everyone in the country earning up to the median income will have access to State-funded GP care. We worked very hard to try to get the six- and seven-year olds over the line last year. Agreement was not possible but I can assure the Deputy that was not for the want of trying. We are engaging with the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, on both cohorts now, namely, the 430,000 people earning up to the median income, which, as the Deputy is aware, is scheduled to commence in April and, at the same time, we are looking to secure agreement for six- and seven-year olds, which would be about 70,000 children. We are working with the IMO now as well to put a framework in place for eight-, nine-, ten-, 11- and 12-year olds whereby they could be brought in quicker. It has taken longer than anybody wants and we are not there yet on the six- and seven-year olds.