James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's closing comments lead me nicely to the next question. The programme for Government, at page 5, on health, guarantees the future sustainability of GP practices in rural Ireland. The Taoiseach mentioned the number of doctors being recruited. However, in rural Ireland we are not seeing them. There appears to be a policy at HSE level to consolidate services around primary care centres in urban areas. While I certainly welcome the primary care centres as a positive, they are not a substitute for a local GP for those, often elder and immobile, who live in rural areas. What practical steps have been taken under this commitment to fulfil this sustainability? The rural practitioner allowance, which was previously a viability cheque for GPs to operate in such situations, has been discontinued and the hiring practices of the HSE have been to delay and prolong uncertainty about certain practices which has led to their demise. What steps are being taken under this commitment to support rural GP services?

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