Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this issue. She is right.. It is a real challenge in lots of communities, including the ones we are proud to represent in Dáil Éireann. I am grateful for the capacity review report she referenced in terms of the ESRI and the detailed work it has done, which will assist in workforce planning and which shows the growth in GP capacity that will be necessary in light of the growing and ageing population we will have in Ireland.

In fairness, the Deputy acknowledged some measures that have been taken. I contend that numerous measures have been taken to increase the number of GPs practising in the State. The annual intake to the GP training scheme increased by approximately 80% between 2019 and 2024. Some 350 new entrant training places were made available from 2024, and 346 new entrants commenced training last year. It is encouraging that almost all of the new entrant training, even though the number increased significantly, have been taken up. The intake for 2024 can be measured against the fact that 286 people went into training in 2023. GPs are also being recruited from abroad. That commenced in 2023 under a joint HSE and ICGP international medical graduate rural GP programme. There are currently 118 of those GPs in practice, and a further 18 have completed the two-year course. Funding has been provided to bring the number on the scheme up from 118 to 250.

We have increased investment in general practice to try to address some of the cost issues that many GPs talk to us about. The budget for general practice went to €211 million under the 2019 GP agreement, with a further €130 million under the 2023 piece. There are approximately ten commitments in the programme for Government that relate to supporting general practice, including structured chronic disease management programme expansion and the full national coverage for GP on call. One of the positive developments we have seen in our constituency is the roll-out of the out-of-hours GP service in Loughlinstown. That service that did not exist five or six years ago. There is also the provision of additional supports for GP practices in rural areas and areas of increased need because the lack of access is not equal across the country.

I do not have a specific note on salaried GPs. All I can say is that the Deputy is right. Salaried GPs are a good idea. I visited one salaried GP practice in Deputy Gannon's constituency. The name escapes me right now, but he knows the doctor. It is a good model, but we need to see this become more the norm. There is funding provided to the HSE for the roll-out of salaried GPs. As Deputy Whitmore stated, there are many doctors who want to deliver medicine but who do not want the challenge of running a small or medium-sized business, as these practices often are. We can learn a lot from that model. I will ask the Minister for Health specifically to outline to the Deputy her plans to roll this out. However, it is something that the Government and I are very much in favour of. It provides another option to further increase capacity.

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