Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 28 September 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Sláintecare Implementation: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Robert Watt:

There is an increase in demand for GP services. That reflects demographic changes that we have spoken about before. There has been a fairly significant increase in the overall payments to GPs and capacity over the past number of years on foot of the new contract in 2019. In the context of the Government's announcement yesterday there are now plans to extend free GP service to significantly more numbers of people. We have been in discussions with the IMO particularly on the issue Deputy Burke raised around capacity. The Government is committed to providing more support there. So there will be more -----