Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State.  As she knows, I am always very happy when she is here answering questions, because of her honesty.  I wish her well in her role.  I very much acknowledge the 179 primary care centres that have been opened to date.  We have seen excellent primary care centres, in Carnew, Arklow and Enniscorthy, but my question is why the people of Gorey and north Wexford, one of the fastest growing areas in the country, should continue to be without a new primary care centre.  In the inter-census period 2016 to 2022, we saw in the Gorey electoral area population growth of 14%.  It is not fair that we continue to have to wait for progress on this matter, frankly because of HSE incompetence that means it did not take action in spite of locals and local representatives, including me, raising it over the years.  I am prepared to give the new team that is in place, which was mentioned by the Minister of State, some space to move on this, but I will not tolerate any further delays.

I will seek to regularly come into the House to raise this issue.

I appreciate the programme that has been made with regard to additional recruitment of GPs and the training programme. This is very welcome. I get the point about the GMS scheme, but this is even about people wanting to be able to access a GP privately. It is not uncommon for somebody to be told they will have to wait three, four or five weeks, or longer, to access a GP in Gorey, and the existing GP surgeries cannot take on any new patients. We therefore see large numbers of people moving into the area without having access to a GP, and it is a really significant problem.

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