Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Deputies who have raised issues in the context of the heath committee.

Deputy McDonald raised the issue of access to general practice and primary care services in Dublin 1. Deputy McGrath raised it in respect of Cork and Deputy Moynihan in respect of Dublin Mid-West. The outgoing Minister increased significantly the number of places for the training of GPs. My understanding was that for every GP retiring now, there will be two in training but there is an interregnum period where there are gaps in the supply of GPs. We have to be creative and innovative to make sure growing areas get provision because many people find it very difficult to access GPs. I will take these issues up with the HSE, both in the Cork context and the Dublin context.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, sorry Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - there are many O'Sullivans in Cork - stated that rare disease day is on Friday. I pay tribute to Deputy O'Sullivan for his relentless focus on the issue of rare disease and innovative orphan drugs, as they are termed. Some progress, but not enough, was made on the rare diseases question. I will certainly raise the matter with the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and make sure it is at the centre of healthcare policy. It is a growing area and there has been progress on a number of fronts but it certainly is not enough just yet.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the crisis in healthcare and the pay and numbers strategy. We need to stand back and look at what has actually happened in health expenditure in the last four or five years. Expenditure has been phenomenal and quite exponential in its growth. The 2024 budget allocation was €22.8 billion but by the end of 2024, expenditure was actually €24.58 billion, which was €1.75 billion over profile.

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