James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Taking that figure of 120, looking at the age profile of GPs, we know that the vast majority are over the age of 50. They are closer to retirement than to graduation. It causes a serious situation where, in ten or 15 years, we will be in a far worse position than we currently are. There is a shortage of approximately 1,000 doctors. Replenishing that with 120 per year is not sufficient. That will take just shy of a decade to fix. Does Mr. Watt have a figure for how many are retiring per annum? Does he have a loose indication of that? The 120 figure is meaningless unless it is compared with how many people are leaving being doctors in their communities. Surely the point of Sláintecare is to go back to communities and to provide the grassroots care in communities that prevents people from having to end up in an emergency department or hospital. Does Mr. Watt not see my point? I cannot understand why, time and again, this issue has not been resolved despite the massive budget the HSE and Department of Health have. They seem unable to address something quite simple. There are significant medical schools in this country with an output of graduates who could sort this problem if common sense was used in the Department of Health. I cannot understand it. A total of 120 is just not enough. Tell me if I am wrong. Maybe I am, but I think this will get much worse. Has Mr. Watt anything to say in response?