Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

General practitioners, GPs, are the cornerstone of our primary care services. Primary care is at the front line of health service provision and deals with the bulk of the health needs of our population. It has lower costs than acute care and can deliver a better preventative quality of care faster and closer to home. I do not need to emphasise the importance of our GPs but for the avoidance of doubt, last year according to the Irish College of General Practitioners approximately 25 million patients were seen in Irish general practices. That is a sensational performance, particularly when it is factored in that the care that is delivered is world class. It is even more sensational when it is factored in what the Government has done to general practitioners and primary care through savage funding cuts.

The Government cut 38% from general practice under FEMPI legislation and there has been a steadfast refusal to reverse this. The Government claimed the budget would signal that Ireland had exited recession. That is absolutely meaningless to GPs, those working in primary care or those who need access to primary care services. What the Government is doing does not make any sense in terms of healthcare or economics. The Government has exhibited an absolute poverty of imagination when it comes to addressing the problems in primary care. Instead of investing properly in our GPs and primary care, which is much cheaper than secondary acute care, the Government prefers to starve the sector. The result is that our GP network is now close to collapse. The Government's actions, particularly in this year's budget, have done little to address the recruitment and retention crisis among GPs because nothing has been done to reverse FEMPI measures. It has made no progress on the GP contract negotiations. Instead, it produced a report yesterday claiming €100 million could be saved in efficiencies to completely undermine GPs. This represents a poor start to the contract negotiations. GPs are operating at and above capacity in a primary care system creaking with problems and the Government has the cheek to throw out reports claiming GPs and practice nurses are inefficient. GP practices in my area, particularly in Swords and Balbriggan, are closed to new entrants. I do not know how GP practices can become more efficient. Suggesting that GPs and practice nurses are not working to full capacity is nothing short of insulting. General practice is in crisis and the Government refuses to acknowledge it or do anything meaningful to address it.

Considering the recent restoration of Deputies' salaries by the Government, when does it plan to reverse FEMPI in respect of primary care, which took a disproportionate 38% cut during the austerity years? When can GPs expect negotiations on a new contract to be concluded? What concrete steps is the Government taking to increase capacity in primary care?

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