Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste speaks about dialogue but there is no dialogue. The discussions around FEMPI have been long-fingered. The National Association of General Practitioners, NAGP, which represents many GPs, is not even involved in them. Research and surveys are available to show that maybe 70% of GPs are no longer in a position to take new patients because of the pressure on their practice, yet the Tánaiste speaks about wanting affordable GP access. It is not possible to have affordable GP access when there are not enough GPs or when GPs are saying they do not have the resources to take on any more patients. We spend only 3.5% of our health budget on general practice in contrast with over 8% spent by the National Health Service, NHS. In Australia, which is actively recruiting GPs from this country because of their training and skills, that figure is even higher. The Tánaiste speaks about dialogue and says it is a matter for the Ministers for Finance and for Health, but the Minister for Health is asleep on watch on this one. Seven out of ten GPs say they can take no more patients, and along with the figures for impending retirements, people walking away from the service, and incredibly committed health professionals saying they have had enough, communities are being left without a service. The Tánaiste should stop talking about discussions and start discussing and wake up to the reality of this crisis.

See this speech in context