Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am not sure about that characterisation and I am not sure it is shared by the GPs who are negotiating on behalf of the IMO. Many of the public servants or anyone working in the public service who had their FEMPI unwound, to use the Chairman's phrase, are doing new and different things as a result of that. What I am saying to GPs, who I am sure are watching this very carefully and closely, particularly given the day that is in it, is that we will in 2019 invest an awful lot more in general practice and that will address the issue of FEMPI. It will also address the issue of new services because our patients need new services and our GPs want to provide them. It will do so in a way that is managed and controlled and does not flood general practice. Mistakes have been made in the past in that regard but we are making very significant progress. I welcome the fact the IMO updated its members this week.