Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I acknowledge there are more training places but, as he correctly pointed out, it will take time for them to work through. The one thing we need to do better on is the retention of those who are coming out of courses. I have outlined to the Taoiseach about directly employing GPs, which the Tánaiste said he is in favour of.

It was a key part of Sláintecare. We should remember it was agreed here in the Oireachtas nearly eight years ago. Primary care and community care are absolutely central to the implementation of Sláintecare and are the cornerstone of a public health system. We must try to do better on that if we are to improve things. There needs to be a big shift of healthcare from hospitals to primary care settings. Our hospital wards are overcrowded and our emergency departments are bulging. The best we can hope for, with the figures coming through at the moment, is to stand still. Standing still is not good enough and we have to do better. Life expectancy is becoming longer and we will have a lot more older people, including a lot more over-80s. We need to work better at this and try to have more directly employed GPs to supplement ordinary general practice ones in the State.

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