Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a question on what is being discussed. The Minister mentioned some critical issues, with one being the GP contract. Is there a timeframe for negotiating this contract? It has become critical. We are losing our newly trained GPs and established GPs who are retiring early or emigrating. There is an ageing population of GPs, with 33% being over 55. This feeds into the lack of GPs working in rural areas and deprived urban areas. Certainly, the problem with ShannonDoc and other co-operatives is not just confined to Clare or Tipperary. It is a national and international issue as it is very difficult to attract GPs to work in rural and isolated areas if the conditions of service are so onerous that it is impossible to run a practice, make a living and have a reasonable lifestyle. The timeframe of the GP contract is essential to how we deal with out-of-hours issues and recruitment of GPs.