Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

——to negotiate with GPs is bringing a much improved primary care and out-of-hours services to the area. The situation regarding what is provided in Smithfield is another example of taking some of the pressure off the accident and emergency unit in the Mater Hospital. Those are facts and such improvements are being used by people from the north inner city as we speak. There have been continuing problems in the accident and emergency units in many of our Dublin hospitals because we have not been in a position to provide sufficient primary care cover and out-of-hours services——

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