Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This issue was raised by previous speakers. Many people who come to my clinics in Carlow cannot get access to GP services. This has become a major issue. As the Minister is aware, if you have no GP, you have no medical card. I am finding that this is becoming a regular occurrence. The Irish Medical Organisation has stated that attracting GPs to rural areas has become significantly more difficult in the past decade.

A HSE nurse range me yesterday. She told me that she applied for an internal post as a schools public health nurse, which involves administering vaccines, particularly that relating to measles. Because of the embargo within the HSE, she is not able to take up her post. This is a very serious matter that needs to be addressed.

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