Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The question was on general rural GPs but I had a sneaky suspicion we would end up talking about Swanlinbar. I acknowledge the engagement and advocacy of Deputy Smith, other Deputies and Senators on this. The matter has been much ventilated.

As the Deputy will be aware, the GP who provided the service has retired. I believe it was in 2020. The HSE advertised to fill the position on five separate occasions but, unfortunately, it received no application in each case. It then initiated a new measure, under the GP agreement from last year, to work with a larger GP practice in a neighbouring vicinity to supply the services, with a view to having a GP on site in Swanlinbar for several days per week, which is very important, and to providing the wider services, such as nurse-led services, that are available in a larger practice. No final decisions have been made. I have engaged with the HSE on this at length. Ultimately, I want to ensure the people in the area have the best possible access, not just to traditional GP care but also to the growing number of additional services GPs now provide.

On the Deputy’s wider point, we are investing very heavily in growing our GP numbers, particularly in parts of rural Ireland and inner-city areas where it is difficult to get a GP. I am very happy to report that, thanks to a very significant increase in the number of training posts for GPs, we now have approximately two GPs entering practice for every one retiring. In addition, I am working with the Irish College of General Practitioners to bring several hundred more GPs on board. In fairness to the college, it is doing-----

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