Dr. Diarmuid Quinlan:

I am not privy to conversations on Lisdoonvarna but I know the challenges faced are widespread. We know that in the past three years, the HSE has spent €1.3 million on GP locums on the island of Achill, the number of GPs in towns in north Cork has fallen from 18 to 12, the number of GPs left in Cahirciveen is very small and Skibbereen has lost a substantial number of GPs. This is all against the backdrop of an increasing population in Ireland so the challenges are enormous and widespread across our rural system.