Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the response. I have much of that detail already from the HSE locally through community healthcare organisation, CHO, 4. The real reason I am here is that many elderly people are fairly distressed and fearful of losing their service. I am glad to hear the Minister of State assure the House that the HSE has taken interim steps. I am aware that a GP has been located locally to step in and fill the breach until such time as a new GP is appointed. All that is welcome but, unfortunately, that is not what is being filtered out through local media at present. There is scaremongering and politicisation of this matter. That is wrong, especially, as I said, when we have elderly people who are severely distressed and might be concerned about future appointments, or prescriptions to be made out or whatever. It is wrong on the part of those people who are trying to politicise this.

I understand that a letter is to be sent this week to all patients affected detailing those interim arrangements. That will, it is to be hoped, at least reassure many of them that the HSE is doing all it can to fill this void. As already stated, it is unfortunate that private patients are in a situation where they face the prospect of having no GP over the Christmas period but I understand that a number of nearby GPs are already taking those patients on as well. I encourage anybody who is concerned to either get in touch with me or with other GPs in the vicinity, who are helping out where they can.

The Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, is due to announce a scheme for the recruitment of non-EU GPs in the coming weeks. Thankfully, this is being supported by the HSE. Some 20 GPs for rural areas will be employed in the first tranche. A second tranche of GPs is already being lined up for CHO 4. This is being done as part of a pilot programme by the ICGP. More details about that will follow in the next few weeks.

I am happy with the Minister of State's response. It reassures me. I hope it will also reassure people in my constituency that there is a process in place. We should be helping to ensure that process is followed rather than trying to undermine it.

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