Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the delegates for being here. Some of the information they provided is very worrying, particularly the high percentage of trained GPs that are emigrating and the age profile of those remaining. I presume if this continues we will reach a crisis point. Now is the time to ensure that does not happen.

How many practices currently have vacancies that cannot be filled? What percentage of graduates from the GP training schemes end up practising? In terms of solutions, would the reintroduction of the distance codes enhance newly-trained young doctors opting for rural GP practices? The co-operative system is a huge success in west Cork. Are there plans to expand that system? Similar to the subvention for practice nurses, would it be helpful if a retiring doctor could access a subvention to enable him or her to hire an assistant young doctor? In regard to the perceived shortcomings in the hospital system with regard to early discharges and so on, how does that impact on a GPs every day practice?