Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday I met with eight trainee GPs who are about to graduate this summer. If the contract negotiations are about adding extra money or services to the existing contract, none of those GPs is going to sign it. It is not about the money, it is about the conditions of service, and I think that is the critical point when the Minister is engaging with the organisations. Of course money is important, as is unwinding the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts, FEMPI, but the conditions of the contract are critical to attracting new GPs into the service. I wished to piggy-back on Senator Burke's comments in that regard.