Dr. John Farrell:

Deputy Cullinane said earlier that the figures we provided are sobering. There are some good initiatives in our proposals. We have this new non-EU proposal for rural practices. The news is not all bad. We have increased trainee numbers by 60% in the past five or six years, which is huge, and they are going to increase again. The Deputy is right. We need adequate planning. That is the purpose of this. We asked initially for a task force and the Minister has agreed to a strategic review. What we are looking for from this committee is to make sure that happens in a timely fashion so the matters the Deputy raised can be addressed and we can come up with practical solutions. All the members have identified issues in their own constituencies. We are all aware there is a serious issue with this. We were hoping the strategic review, with the committee's support, would take place quickly, that it would be time-limited and that we would get all the people around the table saying what are we going to do. It is about patient care and reducing pressure on the other services so we have a functioning primary care system. We agree with the Deputy that that is what we need. We need that level of planning now at this stage as a matter of urgency.