GPs were paid over €589 million for treating medical card patients last year.
More than 50 GP practices got more than €500,000 each
Details released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act reveal over 2,900 GPs across Ireland were paid a total of €589.2 million under the medical card scheme last year.
This includes practice support payments they received from the Health Service Executive.
Four Dublin-based GPs got more than €690,000 each.
The highest earning individual practice was Dr Austin O'Carroll's in Dublin, at €974,000.
Dr O'Carroll says that is not an accurate reflection of how much he got.
He explained: "That is the income for my whole practice - and in my practice we run not just a practice for 2,500, but a number of services for homeless people.
"All together, I have a over 12 GPs working for me - as well as other nursing and other administrative staff. It doesn't reflect that's the total income to work with that group of people and provide salaries for all of them."
Over 190 GPs got more than €400,000, and the average payment to a doctor was about €200,000.
Separately, dentists were paid €56 million in medical card payments last year, and pharmacies got nearly €400 million.
