Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the issue of direct access to specialist care consultants, the reports states it is not accepted internationally that the best way to organise patient care is for patients to go straight to consultants without the advice of their family doctors. It is not an accepted mark of quality in health care. The health care needs of the vast bulk of patients can be met through GP care. The practice in this country is that people go to their GPs and then on——

See this speech in context