Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

GPs across the country are working hard and they are under a great deal of pressure. Such demand for healthcare is a consequence of a rising population and also an ageing population. However, they are under pressure and they are working really hard, and in my view they are doing a great job.

It is important to put on the record of the House that notwithstanding what one might think from the newspapers or the media, we now have more GPs in Ireland than ever before, more GPs who have a got a General Medical Services, GMS, contract with the HSE than ever before and more GPs on the Medical Council specialist register than ever before. The number of GPs in Ireland is going up, not down.

As for what we will do to make sure that continues, we are increasing the number of GPs we are training every year. The number of training places is now being increased every year. I am pleased to see the number of young doctors applying to get on a GP training scheme was at its highest ever level this year. It demonstrates to me that confidence in medicine and general practice as a career is being restored. More young doctors applied to get on the GP training scheme than in any year in the history of the State, and that is a good sign.

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