Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Rural Independent Group's Private Members' motion last month called on the Government to act immediately to address the severe shortage of general practitioners across rural Ireland. We are happy to support this motion. This crisis has been escalating for over four years, with recent data revealing that over two thirds, 66%, of rural GPs are currently unable to accept new patients. I will fast-track my contribution because my time is short. I remember not so long ago the position of Dr. Fiona Kelly in Castletownbere. She had to return from holidays because of the lack of a GP and another GP was a day over on his licence, or whatever nonsense was going on at the time. It was a scandalous position that a doctor who gives so much of her time and energy to her community had to cut short her family holiday.

There are many issues we could talk about. We in the Opposition get quite a lot of criticism when we raise issues. I recently raised issues about Clonakilty Community Hospital because two wards were closing and a new ward was being opened. I praised the staff who are in the hospital but I wanted to know how many people were going to be re-homed in the new unit. No response, only criticism, was afforded to me. I got criticism from a TD in Clonakilty who let Belgooly nursing home close down only a few months earlier. I am standing up for the people and I want answers. I will continue to do that while I am here.

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