Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that individual GPs are doing it. Different GPs in different parts of the State report problems with payment. I am not going to get into specific cases.

There was a review of out-of-hours GP services in 2010 and a further review in 2016. I have the recommendations from the 2010 review to hand. I do not have those from 2016 because I understand the 2016 report was never published. However, we do have the recommendations from the 2010 report. That report sets out a number of actions concerning GPs' income related to non-GMS patients, service level agreements in relation to the provision of nurses, telephone triage, drivers, drugs to be used, etc. Why has this not been acted upon? It is now 2023; 13 years have passed. This is partly why the public is frustrated. The HSE and Department felt it was important to have a review in 2010 because the system was growing on an ad hocbasis. We all accept that. It is not about beating people up over it; it is a matter of fixing it. A review was carried out in 2010. I want a straight answer. There is substantial funding going into the system and the Committee of Public Accounts is looking at the figures. Money is going in but we have difficulties with the service. It is still operating on an ad hocbasis. My reading of it is that it is going to get worse before it gets better, because of demographics, ageing GPs and other reasons. Many GPs now coming out of college may not want to work all night or to be tied to GMS contracts. Why has this not been acted upon? I want a straight answer.