James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise an issue that is very important to people across the north Cork area including in Fermoy and Mitchelstown. Unfortunately, I am meeting a huge number of people who are retired or who have complicated healthcare needs and who want access to GP services across the north Cork area. In north Cork, we have two primary care centres but they are under serious pressure because of a lack of GP services. My siblings all work in the healthcare setting, in pharmacy, and others are studying medicine. Indeed, I am the only one that is not in healthcare. They tell me, as do others working in the sector, that they are under fierce pressure to get additional GPs across the north Cork region. I ask the Taoiseach to have a conversation at Cabinet with the Minister for Health to see if we can get additional resources to address the issue of access to GP and primary care services in the north Cork area for people who are so desperately in need.

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