Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Since October 2020 I have had a lot of dealings with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and with the HSE around the appointment of locums and the need for the appointment of a permanent GP in Swanlinbar, County Cavan. I have been highlighting the need for the locum GP to have a five-day per week contract instead of the existing four-day service. From speaking to local residents and from the people in the wider Swanlinbar catchment area I know they are adamant and very anxious to have a five-day GP service. Their strong message, which I fully support, is for a locum five-day GP service pending the appointment of a permanent GP. That GP appointment also needs to be a five-day service in Swanlinbar. For many decades GPs and their support staff in Ballyconnell, Blacklion and Swanlinbar have worked extremely hard to provide a good health service to that large and very rural Border region with its own particular challenges. That configuration, including a five-day GP service in Swanlinbar, must continue to ensure adequate and fair access to healthcare for local residents in that very rural Border region.

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