Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Cuirim fáilte roimh na Little Blue Heroes. We are in very safe hands with outstanding people like them. I thank them for being here.

Households continue to be hammered left, right and centre by soaring prices with no let-up. With extortionate rent, big electricity and gas bills, high fuel prices, unaffordable childcare and runaway insurance premiums, prices are out of control. Workers and families are squeezed and forced to live week to week. They ask themselves when all of this will stop because they cannot keep up.

Nowhere is all of this clearer than when it comes to the weekly shop. A report published today by PwC found that 70% of Irish customers are extremely worried by the cost of food. This is just the latest in a series of reports confirming what people already know, which is that food prices are through the roof. Let us take a look at some of the basics. According to the CSO, in the past year alone, a pound of butter has gone up €1, a kilo of Irish cheddar cheese has gone up 57 cent and 2 l of milk has gone up 27 cent. Writing in The Irish Times last week, Conor Pope found that, according to figures provided to "Pricewatch", a kilo of chicken that cost €4.99 in 2022 now costs €11. That is just crazy. Many households are paying €3,000 a year more in the supermarket than they were in 2021. It is little wonder that families are finding it harder and harder to put food on the table and, in some cases, are cutting back on basics. People now feel serious pressure and anxiety as they push their trolleys to the checkout.

In May 2023, the Taoiseach's colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, told the public that he had this situation under control. He puffed out his chest, called in the big supermarket chains and declared that they had just six weeks to get prices down. That was 110 weeks ago. Clearly the Minister of State failed to exert any real pressure on those retailers because he was duly and unceremoniously ignored and things have only gotten worse for customers at the checkouts. That was it. That single limp intervention was the entirety of the Government's effort to tackle runaway food prices. The Government could not get the job done so it just walked away and left households to feel the pain.

It seems the Government's latest plan is to do absolutely nothing, to stick its head in the sand and allow people to be ripped off week in and week out. So out of touch is the Taoiseach's Government that it digs in and refuses to bring forward supports to help hard-pressed households deal with these out-of-control prices. Its message to workers and families under enormous pressure is that they are on their own.

Tá praghsanna bia tar éis ardú go hard na spéire. Tá imní ar theaghlaigh gach seachtain nuair a théann siad chun siopadóireachta. Caithfidh an Rialtas a ghníomhú chun daoine a chosaint ó na costais ollmhóra seo.

Was it all just bull and bluster when the Government called in the big supermarket chains two years ago? Will the Taoiseach do anything at all to tackle soaring food prices? How on earth is it that he refuses to consider any cost-of-living supports when people are under such pressure just to make ends meet?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I join with the Ceann Comhairle in welcoming our special guests from County Tipperary, our Little Blue Heroes, who have come to watch proceedings here in the Dáil. They had a busy morning. They had a Garda escort and were greeted by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, the Ceann Comhairle and Deputy Michael Murphy. I was delighted to attend the Little Blue Heroes ball in Killarney earlier this month. I thank the organisation and all those who support it for the extraordinary work they do for children and families. I pay a particularly warm tribute to An Garda Síochána. This entire charity emanated from a number of gardaí and retired gardaí. Their volunteerism and commitment are second to none. They reflect the degree to which An Garda Síochána is embedded in every community in this country. We are fortunate and thanks be to God An Garda Síochána is so embedded because it gives us the police force we have.

The Government is very conscious of price increases and the cost of living more generally. Even though inflation has fallen and is down to 2%, the bottom line is that the elevated level of inflation, arising out of the post-Covid situation and the war on Ukraine, has meant that food prices are very high. That is acknowledged.

We have provided substantial support over recent budgets, which were decried by the Opposition, with significant financial support to households and businesses. The Think-tank for Action on Social Change, TASC, published its annual report today. It found that the temporary cost-of-living supports such as the pandemic unemployment payment, energy credits and lump-sum welfare payments played a critical role in reducing poverty risk among vulnerable households and that without those interventions Ireland's at-risk-of-poverty rate would have increased to 13% in 2022 and 14% in 2023. Instead it fell to 10.6% and 11.7%, respectively. The supports we brought in were effective for their time without any question.

We have made it clear that budget 2026 will focus on measures that are sustainable and maintainable in the long term, with a particular focus on child poverty, disability and, of course, housing. In addition to those cost-of-living measures we have brought in, last April we extended the VAT reduction to 9% on gas and electricity and maintained the reduction on others. That has benefited households by about €70 each for gas and €55 each for electricity. That is further supported by the 40% reduction in the renewable electricity public service obligation levy for 2025 and 2026 announced on 14 June by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.

From 1 June, women will receive hormone replacement therapy, HRT, free of charge. From September 2025, free school books will be extended to all students in post-primary schools. That was a major measure that the Deputy ignored completely in her presentation. All primary schools are eligible for free hot school meals. These are significant measures that are long term and that have had a real benefit in terms of bringing down costs. Free public transport for children, including those aged five to eight, will be introduced later this year. We have also acted to shield workers from a higher tax burden by adjusting income tax credits and bands in successive budgets. We are a significant importer of energy and food produce and that has resulted in significant additional costs associated with transport, logistics and our small market size. The Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, has engaged with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to engage with the industry and provide an up-to-date assessment of it.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Some 70% of people are concerned about food prices. That is what I am raising with the Taoiseach. I gave him some examples earlier; let me give him some more CSO data. Over five years, the price of sugar has gone up by 54%; fillets of cod, 55%; pork sausages, 21%; lamb, 48%; and spaghetti, 46%. This is the reality people face every week when they go to the supermarket to do their shop. People tell us the kind of pressure that is putting on them and they rightly expect that the Government will intervene. I ask quite simply, in respect of people's grocery bills, their weekly shop, what does the Government propose to do? Was it just bluster or was it just performative two years ago when the Minister of State summoned in the big supermarket chains and told them what was what? Nothing changed. People are still to the pin of their collar. I would like the Taoiseach to be clear. What does he propose to do now in respect of soaring costs and prices that are causing real pressure for families across the country?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We will deal with this issue in the budget, but consumer price inflation, as measured by the European Union harmonised index of consumer prices, HICP index, has eased significantly over the past two years, with the annual inflation rate in May 2025 standing at 1.4% compared with 2% in May of last year. That is below the 2% target rate of inflation set by the ECB. In April, Ireland had the sixth lowest rate of inflation among the 27 EU countries, which is quite a remarkable outcome given the strength of domestic economic activity here vis-à-vis other European countries.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Does the Taoiseach do a weekly shop?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Additionally, with inflation expected to grow by 2% this year, nominal wage growth-----

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Obviously not.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Clearly he does not.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Taoiseach to respond without interruption.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----is set to reach 5.5%. That will result in real wage growth of between 3% and 3.5% this year. When inflation was high, we did not have that to offset it. We now have it at significant levels. That is an effective way of dealing with this issue, in addition to the measures we will take in the budget to deal with that.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Does the Taoiseach do his weekly shop? No, he does not.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I give a warm welcome the Little Blue Heroes who are with us in Leinster House today or watching online. I commend the gardaí involved in the organisation. I hope they have a pleasant day with us.

This week, primary school children across the country will be released from school for their summer holidays. They will wave goodbye to teachers, SNAs and classrooms and put away their schoolbags and books until after the holidays but some children will have very little to look forward to this summer. The latest statistics on homelessness will be released on Friday. As it stands, in Ireland today, 4,775 children are recorded as homeless. This figure is likely to go up on Friday, as it has done consistently since a Fianna Fáil Minister lifted the eviction ban in 2023. Those children in homelessness face a very different prospect to their peers this summer. They do not have forever homes. Some entire families are sharing one room in a homeless hub, hotel or hostel. Their children have no room to play or grow. Their parents face an awful situation, often forced to make really difficult choices.

Yesterday, I visited a dog shelter. There, I heard from staff who told me about the anguish faced by families forced to give up beloved family pets because they are entering homelessness. I met one family dog and a litter of little puppies. Her owners were desperate to keep her but could not because they had received notice to quit. Dublin City Council anticipates that the cost of housing people in emergency accommodation will increase by €35 million this year. Spending has more than trebled in the past decade, which is demand driven. Spending on emergency accommodation is increasing because more people and, shamefully, more children are being left without a home. They have been failed by the State. They have been failed by this Government. The cost of that failure is more than just monetary. I think we are all aware of the immense human cost of families forced to give up pets, move into one room and of children whose lives are curtailed in this way. The consequences of allowing children to be left without a home are disastrous for the individual families and households and for our entire social order. The Government is not offering any prospect of hope to families facing notices to quit. Its policies are tolerating the intolerable. Notices of termination are the biggest driver of homelessness in Dublin, representing 32% of all those presenting as homeless in 2023 and 42% in 2024, a 10% increase in one year. The Government is offering nothing to families in this scenario. We in the Labour Party offered a homeless families Bill which would oblige authorities to prioritise the needs of children as members of families, not just treating them as dependents of homeless adults.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Eight years ago.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There is a consensus across housing charities that this would make a difference to families. For years, successive housing Ministers have delayed on this Bill.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Taoiseach to respond, please.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

When will the Government start treating child homelessness like the emergency it is?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I take issue with the term "released" from school. Children these days enjoy school and have very good experiences in our schools but they are going out to enjoy the summer holidays. Through many other avenues of government, we will endeavour to give supports to children throughout the summer holidays. More specifically, the issue of homelessness is key. A key strategy is to shorten the time any family experiences emergency accommodation and ensure they can receive social housing. We have built more social houses in the past four years than in the previous 40 years. The increase in building of social housing and the provision of social housing through other mechanisms has increased exponentially. That is a key way of dealing with homelessness. The housing first programme is also key. It was recommended strongly a number of years ago by the homeless agencies.

There are now 1,000 tenancies for homeless people with complex health and social needs, with further significant numbers planned for 2025 and that is a very important intervention. We have no issue with examining the Labour Party's legislation, although is the Deputy suggesting those who are perhaps on the list for eight or nine years? A balance always has to be struck between those on the homeless list vis-à-visthose who have been on the social list for quite considerable lengths of time and have an entitlement as a social house as well. What will be key is increasing the number of social houses we build and doing it consistently over the next decade and more. The building of social houses has already had an impact on the social housing lists in many cities and local authority areas and also on the issue of homelessness itself by reducing the length of time people experience in emergency accommodation.

An eviction ban would actually be regressive in terms of supply. Ultimately we need more supply of homes and housing. The Housing Commission made it clear the Oireachtas's approach to the rental market over the past four years was too interventionist. That is what it more or less said. I am sorry; "reactive" might be the word the commission used. The result was a dampening of supply into the market, thereby exacerbating the situation. We cannot endorse policies that would make the supply situation much worse and by definition make the homelessness issue much worse. That needs to be acknowledged also.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

First, I should reassure the Taoiseach and any school staff watching that of course I was using the word "released" in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek fashion. Our schools are generally very happy places, children are generally very happy to receive an education and we have excellent school staff across the country.

On a more serious note, what I am hearing from the Taoiseach and his Government is nothing that offers any reassurance to families who wish to be realised from homelessness. That is the sad reality. The Taoiseach's Government is offering no hope to people. The Labour Party put forward the homeless families Bill eight years ago. In that time the number of children in homelessness has almost doubled and there is no sense of urgency or ambition from Government. Maybe the Taoiseach should look back at his party's past. In the 1960s Fianna Fáil ensured State intervention directly in the delivery of homes through the National Building Agency under Seán Lemass. There were lots of issues with that, but certainly there was no difficulty with having a State-led focus on delivery of homes, and that is what we in the Labour Party have called for. Let the State, through local authorities-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Taoiseach to respond.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----and the LDA and a State-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Thank you, Deputy Bacik.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----construction company deliver homes again at the scale children in homelessness so desperately need.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Over the last five years since Fianna Fáil came back into government we have built close to 48,000 social houses - delivered. That is the most in 40 years. You would have to go back to the 1970s to get that level of social housing construction, but we need more because the population has increased. That is a factor in this. The composition of those presenting for homelessness and emergency accommodation has also changed. It is much more complex than perhaps the immediate understanding of the term or the experience of homelessness today. There is a European context to it which is very real now and there is a blurring of a lot of distinctions as well in terms of entitlements and so forth, so we have to be very clear-eyed about that. We are treating this as an emergency and as urgent and we are doing everything we can through local authorities-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Thank you, Taoiseach. The time is up.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----and through the approved housing bodies and those involved in the homelessness area to address this issue.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I, too, welcome the Little Blue Heroes and the gardaí and commend everyone involved in that.

Listening to the Taoiseach's answers I wonder does he get it at all. He was presented with the stark reality people face in terms of grocery prices and he rattled off a list of numbers and inflation rates rather than acknowledging the real difficulties people are facing when they do their weekly shop. I do not know if the Taoiseach even notices or acknowledges the problems people are facing.

Some 70% of people are either very worried or extremely worried about food prices. Will the Taoiseach even acknowledge that? Many families are now spending an extra €3,000 per year on their grocery and shopping bills and prices are still increasing. Anyone doing their weekly shopping recently will have noticed prices again beginning to soar. Does the Taoiseach even acknowledge that reality for people? We are talking about parents who are working really hard all week, and who are going without meals so they can feed their children. We are talking about pensioners who have to leave items behind on the checkout that they can no longer afford. We are talking about families scrimping and saving just so they can get by. No one should be going hungry. No one should be having to skip meals to feed their children and no pensioner should be worried about keeping food on the table. We are talking about the basics here; what it costs just to survive in this country. Buying the essentials of milk, butter, pasta and bread now costs more than it ever has before. The level of stress and anxiety this is causing families is growing.

Soaring food prices are something the Government promised to address. It is now more than two years since the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, organised his meeting with grocery retailers to discuss runaway prices. What happened was that meeting was a talking shop convened for optics. He turned up, wagged his finger and everyone went home. Grocery prices are higher now than they ever have been, so if the Minister of State thinks that was a success it certainly has not been. We all have suspicions that we are being ripped off and price-gouged in this country when it comes to grocery prices, but there is no way to prove it because we do not have full transparency when it comes to supermarket profits.

People are handing more than €10 billion per year to supermarkets to buy food for their families, so why is there not full transparency about profits? Supermarket chains are not required to publish detailed and full accounts about their profits. Given that people have to buy food, there is no choice in this. Why is this not a requirement for all supermarket retailers and chains? There is a simple answer to this. He could act. I am asking him if he will act to require all supermarket chains and retailers to do this. I do not want diversionary answers here or distractions. It is a simple question. I want him to answer the question.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The question is?

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Well, if the Taoiseach were listening, the question was whether is he going to act-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Am I going to-----

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----to ensure all supermarket chains have to declare their profits in full detail.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

First of all, I say to the Deputy that he has a tremendous habit of asserting what I said earlier, which of course I did not say at all.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

How would you know? You were not listening.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I did not rattle off any figures when I was answering Deputy McDonald.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Yes, you did.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

You can hear him on the record.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I did not. What I said was, I outlined what TASC, the Think-tank for Action on Social Change, said in its publication today. That is not rattling off figures. It basically said that the short-term, once-off cost-of-living packages that we introduced had a very significant impact in helping people to deal with what has been the worst inflationary spiral since the 1970s, which we had after Covid and as a result of the energy crisis resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Those things did happen and there was an inflationary spiral, which we are still experiencing. The Government interventions were probably the most significant across Europe in terms of scale and impact-----

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Not true.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

-----but they still did not go to meet the enormity of the increases people experienced at the time. Do not say I just rattled off figures. I did not.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

You did.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I then went on to say that we had extended the VAT reduction to 9%, which we did. That is not rattling off figures. That is a fact, which has had some impact. I mentioned free-of-charge HRT coming in on 1 June.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

HRT is not a grocery.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I mentioned the extension of the free schoolbooks scheme to all students. If you have one income coming in, we all know that every September and every summer, schoolbooks, going back to school and the cost of schoolbooks was the bane of most parents' lives. That is gone, eliminated. The Deputies did not have the good grace to acknowledge that. I do not expect any acknowledgement, but they just ignored that and its impact on household budgets. St. Vincent de Paul has said this has had a significant impact on household budgets. The hot school meals programme has been significant in its impact on children generally, and particularly children from low-income and difficult circumstances where they may not get a meal on their way into school in the morning.

The free public transport will be increased from five years to eight years. This is all expenditure that frees up people's income for other expenditure. We also passed legislation, the food ombudsman Bill, to deal with, engage with and give greater transparency to the entire continuum from producer to shelf in respect of supermarket prices and the income the primary producer gets for food in this country. That legislation was passed and is there. The food ombudsman has been established - it is a different title but it is essentially the same - to deal with the issues the Deputy raised in respect of transparency. That will have teeth.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Taoiseach did rattle off a range of figures about inflation but did not acknowledge the real hardship people face in terms of grocery prices. I ask him to acknowledge that. Last week, his Government took the decision to lift the pay caps for senior high-paid bankers. Newspapers reported that means, for instance, the annual package of the head of AIB could go from €500,000 to €2 million. Those are the kinds of decisions the Government has taken that may have an immediate effect for people at the very high end of incomes. What has it done about grocery prices and ensuring full transparency on supermarket profits now - not something that is going to happen in the future? Why is there not full transparency now? When will the Taoiseach act on that? Does he acknowledge that the €3,000 per year extra on grocery prices that most households are paying is utterly unsustainable, and that action needs to be taken by the Government now to bring those prices down?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I did acknowledge, and have spoken a couple of times today about, the elevated level of grocery prices and the impact it is having on households. Please do not say I did not acknowledge it. I did. It is the Deputy's standard practice now to make assertions that are not true. Of course prices are impacting on families and households but the taxation measures we took last year in the budget benefited low-income workers and medium-income workers, through both the USC reduction, in particular, and the income tax reductions. We did it in previous budgets as well. Those are sustainable measures to help people cope with what has been an extraordinary period of growth in prices more generally. We had a significant impact on insurance reforms, which we worked and focused on over the past number of years.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Insurance is going up.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Insurance has gone up.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We are looking at every aspect of cost and price with a view to getting prices down.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Does the Taoiseach keep track of even his own Bills?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I assure Deputy O'Callaghan that we understand fully the degree to which this is impacting on people, households and families, but we have taken very effective measures. They include ones that even the Social Democrats did not advocate for, such as free schoolbooks, notwithstanding the position that party adopts on so many issues.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I raise the problem people around the State have in accessing a GP or getting a GP to take them on. It is even more difficult for people who do not have a medical card. It is a huge problem. There is a shortage of locum doctors, which leads to problems for some GPs trying to take holidays or leave. The emergency departments of hospitals are clogged up with people who should be seen in a community care or primary care setting. Some go to emergency departments either because they cannot get a GP appointment or do not have a medical card and cannot afford a GP visit.

A recent Economic and Social Research, ESRI, report outlined that we need between 943 and 1,211 to cope with demand. That is just to stand still, not to improve the ratio of GPs per head of population. We know from several sources that the number of GPs per head of population is way too low and is completely out of sync with our European neighbours and other developed countries.

The Irish College of General Practitioners has stated that we have a huge deficit. It has identified several counties that have a chronic shortage, including County Laois. The Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, concurs and has highlighted this fact as well. The State has only 60% of the GPs per head of population that Germany and other EU states have. Some EU states are even more favourable than that. The IMO reckons one GP per 900 people is required to provide adequate community care. The World Health Organization says it is one per 1,000 population.

In County Laois, the ratio is, on average, one GP per 1,600 population. Only 35 GPs out of 67 in the county take medical cards. At least 700 GPs are to retire between the years 2023 and 2026. There are not enough new GPs in training and in many cases, when they qualify they are faced with a choice of trying to establish a general practice or emigrating. Some emigrate because of the cost of trying to establish a practice, pay for premises, hire equipment, hire staff, etc., and the long hours. We have a chronic shortage due to the lack of forward planning by all Governments over the previous 20 years. Solutions are needed now.

We need a major ramp-up of directly employed, salaried GPs working in general practice. Last week, the Tánaiste said here he is favour of this as well. Many of those trained GPs would be more likely to remain if they could work in a 35 to 40 hour week job, particularly a lot of women who are coming into it - more women are coming in and that is welcome - because, unfortunately, they tend to have more home and caring responsibilities. As a society, we have more work to do in that area. The number of training places needs to be increased substantially. When young GPs qualify, the HSE needs to actively recruit them and offer them permanent positions.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of primary care and GP provision. Undoubtedly, in rural Ireland in particular and in some urban areas, over recent years there have been challenges accessing a GP and getting a GP. On the other hand, there have also been significant developments and growth, particularly in terms of the number of places at third level. That has increased very significantly over the last two to three years. The work done by the then Minister, Stephen Donnelly, with the Tánaiste when he was Minister for higher education resulted in additional places in our colleges. It will take some time for those places to come through. We also secured additional post-graduate education places more generally. That is important.

We have 179 primary care centres in the country now, which is very significant, and 50 new ones have opened since 2020. On chronic disease, 95% of GPs are now signed up to the chronic disease management programme; there were more than 645,000 patient reviews by GPs in 2024; and 92% of patients with chronic diseases are now fully managed routinely in primary care and not attending hospital for managing their condition.

The number of new entrant GP training places has increased significantly in recent years and is up 350 for 2024. College and training places continue to grow and an additional 662 student places have been provided in the higher education sector on health-related courses overall this year academic year, which includes nursing and midwifery.

The growth is there within the third level colleges but the quality and nature of the work of GPs is changing. That work on chronic disease is essential for outcomes and for the community enhanced care programme. A lot of GPs speak very highly of its impact. Overall, our figures as a country on life expectancy are improving because of the stronger role of primary and community based care and the management of chronic disease, along with public health measures and better quality of work within acute hospital services. Our life expectancy is above 82 years of age. Our mortality fell by 11% over the decade 2014 to 2022. The mortality rate for all circulatory system diseases fell by 20% in that period, with heart disease and stroke falling by 28% and 37%, respectively. There is another perspective to our health narrative which rarely gets articulated.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The new programme in Galway will be specifically focused on rural GP medicine. A huge investment is going into primary care and this area.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A primary care centre for Portlaoise?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Practices in receipt of the rural supports receive the maximum rate of practice staff subsidies, significantly reducing possible staff costs for smaller practices. They also receive the maximum rate of locum support for leave-taking. A new locum support initiative commenced in May, providing GPs in receipt of rural practice supports with access to a streamlined locum-sourcing service. The annual intake to the GP training scheme increased by approximately 80% from 2019 to 2024, with 350 new entrant training places made available from 2024. Three hundred and forty-six new entrants commenced training last year, representing a 21% increase on the previous year’s intake, 286. We will continue to build on that. Recruitment of GPs from abroad commenced in 2023 under a joint HSE-ICGP international medical graduate rural GP programme. One hundred and eighteen of those GPs are currently in practice and an additional 18 have completed the two-year course.