John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On page 54 of the programme for Government, there is a commitment to expand primary care service. This is also one of the principal platforms of Sláintecare. I draw the Tánaiste's attention to the situation of doctors from outside Ireland who try to get registration to work as general practitioners here. Responsibility in that regard lies with the national doctor training programme in conjunction with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service. It is my understanding that the latter does not have a problem but that the difficulty and the red tape relating to obtaining registration for doctors coming into Ireland to work are a disincentive for them. We are fortunate that we have an arrangement with Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand for bringing in their qualified GPs. As a result of their circumstances, however, doctors from South Africa are the only ones who seem to want to come to work in Ireland. The Government is well aware that the State is short of at least 500 GPs. Everything should be done to promote and incentivise to try to attract GPs into the country, particularly from South Africa. A few weekends ago, the out-of-hours service in Tralee, County Kerry, had no GP for the entire weekend. People then had to go the accident and emergency department, which is an already stressed service. Will the Tánaiste please discuss this issue with his colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to try to make it as easy as possible for such doctors, while at all times adhering to the necessary qualifications criteria.

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