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

-----whether it is through private practice or salaried GPs. We specifically asked questions around recruitment and the pipeline of new GPs, which was an issue that has caused problems. Figures have been given for the number of training places to be increased. It is stated that the Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, currently estimates that 890 GPs will graduate from GP training over the three years between 2023 and 2026. A breakdown of these numbers is provided.

A figure is also provided that is an issue of concern. The correspondence refers to the number of GPs aged over 72, which seems to be a marker. Out of the 2,539 GP GMS contracts held, the number of those with a full contract who will turn 72 in the three-year period referred to alone is 92.

As you work down through the correspondence and get down into people in their 60s, those numbers will be a lot larger. It is an area that is bedevilling the health services. The fact is that we do not have sufficient staff in the community to provide the full primary care services we need. That is an important matter.

Figures for the dental treatment service scheme have been given, and I am puzzled by them because it looks like, on page 9 of the correspondence, where the budget for dental services is given, there is €66.8 million for the dental treatment service scheme, DTSS. That is the scheme for adult medical card patients. There is the treatment benefit scheme, which includes public dental services. That is the scheme for PRSI employees. There is €64.4 million there for that and €23.8 million for orthodontic treatment, which is significant enough. When added all together, it is €155 million. However, what I am puzzled about - some of you have heard me say this before - is that in the county I live in there is no DTSS. There is €66.8 million available for it but we do not have a breakdown as to how much of that is being spent in County Laois, as far as I can see, or County Offaly or any other county. I would be interested in getting that breakdown because it states under the DTSS that there is no cap on spending in the community healthcare organisation, CHO, areas. That is all it says for CHO 8. I think there are six counties in CHO 8. Would that be correct? If, however, there is no cap on the spending for it, what is happening in those counties in that regard? I request, if the committee is agreeable, that we look for a breakdown of the spend last year per county in the CHO 8 area in respect of the DTSS. Figures are given for the public dental scheme and the orthodontic scheme, but it states that there is no capital spending in CHO areas, and under CHO 8 it does not give any figure. It does give a figure for the public dental scheme, that is, the PRSI scheme, and the orthodontic services, but what happens to the medical card patients? We just do not know. There is only one dental practitioner that deals with medical card patients. They are not taking on any new patients and are dealing with only a very small number at the moment. The day has long gone that they are taking on new patients, but what was spent in Counties Laois and Offaly separately on the DTSS last year? If there is no cap on the figure in the CHO areas, how much is budgeted for Laois and how much is budgeted for Offaly this year? I am curious to know that. If any other member knows of a county where they have no service, as is the case in my neck of the woods, and if they want to put that county in with the request, they are free to do so.