Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the state of KDoc and the out-of-hours GP service in Kildare. On Monday evening, a constituent phoned the helpline at 6 p.m. for a sick baby. She phoned six times and she was put hold between ten and 34 minutes before being cut off. She finally got an answer at 9:49 p.m. to be told that there were no appointments left and that she would have to go to her own GP the next morning. She expressed concern about her child, and she was told that she could go to A&E if she wanted. She rang KDoc in Carlow at 10 p.m., was answered straight away and she was given an appointment at 11.20 p.m. She was lucky that she could go, that she could give a relative’s address and that she could drive the 50-minute journey. Others may not be so lucky.

Will the Tánaiste please ensure that the right resources are directed towards the Kildare service?

We have heard people this morning talking about strep A and the concerns of parents.

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