Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

The change must be made in the first instance. Anyone who is qualified should have access to a GMS contract if they have the necessary qualifications and vocational training. If this is the case there should be no barrier. It is in the interests of the HSE to provide supports for GPs based on volume of patients. It would not be acceptable for a small practice to be given the same level of support as a large practice with a large number of patients, especially in disadvantaged areas. This may not appeal to everyone but I favour distorting the way we pay GPs to favour those operating in more disadvantaged areas where the challenges are greater. This is the practice in other countries. In the context of any new contracts, we need to examine this policy.

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