Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

There is a significant problem developing in my community. The GP Care For All service in the primary healthcare centre in Summerhill is a fabulous service. I knew what existed at that location before in terms of GP healthcare; what exists now is a beyond a world of difference. GP Care For All is a charity-run model. Doctors are salaried. Most important, those who avail of the service are some of the most vulnerable in the community. They have no idea that it is a different style of GP practice from anywhere else - why would they? The doctors are fantastic, the service is amazing and the environment is everything they would need in a clinical setting. As a result of some financial quirk of an anomaly, however, the service is threatened.

It requires an amendment to the finance Bill to change the tax treatment of charity-run GPs such as GP Care For All. A similar measure was adopted last year by the then Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, who is a constituency colleague and would be aware of this service. He brought an amendment through to save a different type of practice relating to business partnerships for GPs. That amendment was brought through for private GPs in a business partnership and we are asking for something similar.

I do not want to see that practice go. It is incredible. The GP Care For All service is a model that should be replicated the length and breadth of the country. There is one in Summerhill and one was due to open in Finglas West. Others should be planned wherever there are vulnerable communities or hard-to-reach GP services. If this goes, we lose not only a valuable service but an incredible opportunity.

I would be surprised if the Minister of State in her position were not aware of the work of GP Care For All. I am surprised this issue has dragged on for so long. It requires an amendment to the finance Bill. That should be done with some degree of urgency. The opportunity for it is nigh. The service is in consistent engagement with the Department of Health and the HSE. It has sought a formal statement from the Department of Finance but, at this point, no such statement has been forthcoming.

I appreciate it is not the Minister of State's exact domain but I would like to hear her statement and respond afterwards.

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