Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have received no further information as to what is happening with regard to the roll-out of universal GP care. We were given a commitment that an announcement would be made at some stage after the summer regarding what would replace the original commitments in respect of long-term illness in the roll-out of GP care. What I find amazing is that it is two years into the Government's term of office and we are still waiting for a formal policy decision on how it will implement GP care and the pathway to universality by March 2016, which is when the Government's term ends. Even though the Government has not yet made a decision on how it expects to implement this proposal, it should be discussing how the roll-out would work with the GPs. The programme for Government states that there will be universality by the end of the Government's term of office. In that context, it is incredible that there have not been discussions with the GPs. I believe it is a delaying tactic, so the Government can say that it must now enter into discussions with GPs, which will take a protracted period of time as well. The Government could be doing this already in advance.

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