Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not disagree with some of the comments the Deputy has made. However, I need to be clear that as Minister I have brokered an agreement with GP representative bodies and will restore every cent that was removed in capitation fees during the recessionary years by 2023. The agreement will provide more than that as well. It is providing additional funding that GPs sought for rural areas; funding for urban areas of deprivation for the first time ever; and paternity and maternity cover. We have been responding to many of the issues, although we have more to do as we have heard directly from GPs. I have also listened to GPs regarding eligibility issues. They have asked me to make sure I sequence this correctly and invest in general practice before I swamp them in respect of eligibility. Those are their words as opposed to mine. I have listened to them on the phasing in of the introduction of free GP care for children, and not going in one swoop to cover under 12s but introducing it in two-year intervals. We are seeing in recent weeks more people applying to train to be a GP than ever before in the history of our State. That news has been welcomed by the Irish College of General Practitioners. I accept that we have a lot more to do and that in particular parts of the country we have challenges. The HSE is engaging on the ground in that regard. We are training more GPs than ever. We need to make sure they want to remain GPs in Ireland. That is why it is important that we do not just pat ourselves on the back and say we have negotiated a good deal. We must look at how we continue to build on the relationship.

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