The cost of visiting a GP have gone up by 14% since 2020 across Ireland with patients in cities like Dublin, Cork and Limerick paying the most - between €60 and €90 for a routine check up.
In dentistry, costs have gone up by more, 20% in just four years, with Irish dental patients facing some of the highest bills in the EU. Overall, for all goods and services, Irish people pay 46% above the European average, meaning for virtually every area of daily life, Irish consumers are often paying in the region of double the average across the EU.
Figures from the CSO show the sharp rises in the cost of medical and dental treatment - even for the four out of ten Irish people who are paying for private health insurance on top of their taxes to fund the public health system.
In dental treatment, many Irish people are now seeking to travel abroad for procedures such as dental implants. An estimated 12,000 Irish people visited Budpast alone last year, flocking to one of the most popular places for 'dental tourists' and paying up to 70% less in Hungary than they would pay in Ireland.
The CSO figures show a difference in costs for visiting the dentist in Dublin and in more rural areas, with some parts of the country, including Donegal, significantly cheaper for treatments. However, patients are now reporting an average charge of around €55 for basic check ups while the cost of an x-ray has jumped from €20 to between €25 and €40 in just one year.
The Irish Dental Association has said their own figures show the average price for a silver filling was €109.44 last year – this year it can vary anywhere from €125 to €160.
The Irish Dental Association has blamed the price rises on the general rising costs for businesses which have come with the cost of living crisis and increases in everything from utility bills to pay rates.
The rising costs of GP and dental visits have been revealed by new figures that show doctors’ fees can vary from €50 to €90 depending on where you live, while routine dental exam costs have jumped by 10 per cent.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that GPs' fees have gone up by 14 per cent since 2020 and dental costs have risen by 20 per cent in the same time.
Irish Dental Association figures state that a basic examination now costs €50, compared to €45 in 2020.
Fintan Hourihan of the Irish Dental Association claims the rising costs reflect the cost of business.
However, consumer groups have repeatedly pointed out that while costs for goods and services continue to rise - wages are in no way keeping up with inflation and ordinary working families are struggling to pay for vital services such as doctors and dentists.
