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

Another source of concern is that many general practitioners are leaving the country. We must examine and address the reasons they are leaving. Is it purely for remunerative reasons or is it because there are no clear career paths or defined advancement opportunities in their profession? We must address these issues quickly because we are haemorrhaging GPs at an alarming rate. This is a First World country which has a good education system in providing for professional competence in the health sector. I am not particularly happy that people are moving abroad and that we must go to Third World countries to take their best trained to fill the vacuum left because our GPs have moved somewhere else. This is morally wrong. We are enticing and inducing doctors to come here from countries that need these professionals. Some of them come to gain experience and for the remuneration, but it is almost a policy that our doctors go to other First World countries and that we must then scour the third world to find the best and bring them here to fill the vacuum. This is questionable, to say the least. I do not blame the Minister of State for this policy, but we need to resource primary care services. We must make the system attractive for young, professional GPs and other allied health professionals to stay here. A remunerative package is critical, but there must also be clear defined pathways for their professional development. We must move quickly to do this. I have attended a number of meetings organised by the National Association of General Practitioners, spoken to many young GPs and received a plethora of e-mails from them telling me that they are on their way out of the country. This is alarming for many reasons but, most importantly, in the delivery of health care services.

Perhaps the Minister of State might deal with the issue of the Competition Authority in summing up or on Committee Stage. We tabled an amendment to the Companies Act in this context. When the Act was introduced, I supported it. However, I do not believe it was envisaged that the Competition Authority would block the State's ability to have discussions with a service provider; rather, the proposal was made to stop the development of monopolies and price fixing. That was its primary purpose. In a case where an agency or group of people provide services for the State there should not be an inherent block in their being able to discuss with the State how best to provide these services. This issue should be examined. It is welcome that the Minister of State is in discussions on the issue.

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