Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support this motion, which in many ways replicates some of the points that my colleagues and I have raised recently about local access to healthcare. In particular, I support the motion’s call to establish a multidisciplinary working group on the development of primary care and for the Government to launch a pilot programme in areas where there is a shortage of GPs for out-of-hours services and leave cover.

In my constituency, we are finally seeing the development of the Birr primary care centre after a long wait and a rather complicated process. I fought hard to keep that primary care centre for Birr on the political agenda in the Dáil and engaged continuously with the HSE over the past number of years. I commend the HSE on giving its final sign-off.

In terms of local health services, I wish to mention the ongoing crisis in our dental services. Offaly and Laois are particularly badly impacted. The number of children being failed by the current contract arrangements is mind-boggling. We have major deficits right across the board in health and a chronic lack of services, including elective surgery capacity at the regional hospital in Tullamore, which is of serious concern. We need an elective surgery hub for Tullamore hospital. I hope that will happen.

For now at least, I commend the motion and offer my support to it.

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