Thousands of families will receive a boost in their personal budget as free GP care has been announced for six and seven year olds from August.
The plan will cover a total of around 78,000 children.
These cards will also be extended to around 430,000 people on no more than the average household income, during September and August.
The median household income last year was €46,999.
It follows a new deal agreed between the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Government after several months of talks.
The full plan will be announced later today.
The planned extension of free GP care for those aged six and seven was announced in Budget 2021, but had been delayed due to negotiations with doctors who had expressed concerns about their capacity to take on the extra work.
Legislation to provide for the extension of GP care without fees to six and seven year olds was published in June 2020.