Mr. Stephen Mulvany:

The intake to the four-year programme this year is 259 prospective GPs. That means there are approximately 900 prospective GPs in training across all the years of the programme. The plan is to increase the annual figure from 259 to 360 by 2025 or 2026. We know that Ireland averages 6.9 GPs per 10,000 people. Our focus and that of the Department is on growing the number of GPs being trained. We are also looking at the capacity to increase international recruitment of GPs. We are also looking at support for GPs through practice nursing. Our level of GPs and practice supports per 10,000 of our population is not on a par with Scotland, which has a similar size and organisation. Our statistics put us ahead of England and Wales but not Scotland, which has a model to which we aspire. There is a lot more to do.