Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The short answer is "I will". I know the Deputy's views on this, and we have had an opportunity to discuss them a little before. I refer to the question as to who employs the staff within primary care as it is developed. I will be influenced by the views of the cross-party group in this regard and the report of that group. The Deputy obviously recognises, as must I, that we currently operate under a GP contract. Schedule 8 of Statutory Instrument No. 233 of 2016 makes provision for the payment of subsidies to GMS contract holders towards the cost of employing support staff, namely, practice nurses, secretaries and practice managers. The rates of these payments are calculated according to a pro rataformula, whereby there is a sliding scale based on a patient panel size of 100 to 1,200 patients. The maximum payment rates apply where a GP has a panel size of 1,200 patients or more. As I said, this is set out in Schedule 8, which I will send to the Deputy. Each patient aged 70 years or over counts as two patients when calculating a GP's panel size for the purposes of these allowance. Finally, where a GP qualifies for supports under the rural practice support framework, he or she is entitled to practice support subsidies towards the employment of a practice nurse, secretary and-or manager at the maximum applicable rate regardless of the size of the patient panel. I will reflect on the Deputy's comments.

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