Five GP practices got more than €1m each for treating medical card patients last year.

That is according to Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk.

The total amount paid out under the scheme increased by one-third in 2020.

Over 2,900 GPs across Ireland were paid a total of €788m under the medical card scheme last year.

This includes practice support payments they received from the HSE.

Some 24 practices got over €800,000 each - with five getting at least €1m.

The practice run by Dr Anas Mansour in north-west Dublin got the most, at nearly €1.3m.

The total figure of €78m is nearly €200m more than 2019.

But Monaghan GP Dr Illona Duffy says the figures do not tell the whole story.

"The medical card scheme payments are never just a salary to a GP, they're a payment to a practice.

"And while there may be one GPs name, that doesn't necessarily give a true picture of what that money goes towards.

"And as we know, a GP practice is not just the GP - there's the full team, and that goes from the GP nurses to the receptionists, secretaries, cleaners and obviously all the payments that are required to run a business".

The HSE says last year's increase is partly down to GPs' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with an expanded flu campaign and extra fees arising from the 2019 GP Agreement.