There may not be enough Doctors to provide free GP care for all if the scheme was to be rolled out here by 2026.
Free GP visits for all is one of the key recommendations of the all party Slaintecare plan.
The ESRI's been examining the demand and cost-implications of extending free GP care to the whole population over the next 3 years.
The move would see an estimated 2 million more GP visits and it would cost the State between €381 million and €881 million euros.
Dr. Sheelah Connolly is one of the authors of the report.
"If tis policy was implemented, if free GP care was extended, there'd be an additional 1.9 to 2.3 million GP visits in 2026, relative to a situation where the policy was not implemented.
"In terms of cost, we found that the cost to the state of extending free GP care to the total population would be between €381m and €881m."
