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

I welcome the Minister of State. I appreciate him turning up to take this matter. A week ago, the people of Blarney and the surrounding area woke up to the news that their local GP is to resign at the end of this year. At a time when we know how difficult it is to get access to a GP, this has sent a shock through the community. This decision affects 1,600 patients, 600 of whom are public and 1,000 private, between medical cardholders and private patients. On hearing the news, I wrote to and contacted the HSE, as did a number of my constituency colleagues. We were assured by the HSE that the public patients will be looked after by an interim service within 8 km of Blarney for the foreseeable future, until such time as a new doctor is recruited. This is welcome and very much appreciated.

I understand that one GP has already indicated interest in taking up the service and a number of other parties are also keen to express interest. I have taken the opportunity to write to all GPs within a 10 km radius of Blarney encouraging them to do all they can in helping in the interim and, in particular, to look after those 1,000 patients who do not have a service in the meantime. Despite all the usual scaremongering and politicisation of the issue locally, I seek some reassurance from the Minister of State that what the HSE tells me is true, that an interim arrangement has been made, and that the process of the advertisement of the post is being readied. If he could give any other pertinent details, it would be very much appreciated.

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