Mr. Stephen Mulvany:

For as long as it is effective I would see that continuing in Ennis and Roscommon. It is an option that will be explored for the other model 2 hospitals where it makes sense for the local services to do so. It is not a magic bullet. We should not be giving the impression that it is going to solve the problem but it is one more contributor.

Regarding GPs in accident and emergency departments, some hospitals have that model. In some cases, it is effective and in other cases, less so. It all depends on whether the GP has the time to actually see the patients and do a proper assessment. In some cases, that is not possible.