Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Minister for Health the progress on increasing the number of GPs and GP practices across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34667/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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General practice plays a vital role in our health service but we need more GPs to improve access to services in some areas. To meet that need, the programme for Government has committed to increasing the number of practising GPs through a combination of increased training places and international recruitment. In part, to attract doctors to practice as GPs here, the Government has significantly increased expenditure on general practice, primarily through the 2019 and 2023 GP agreements. The agreements provide for increased fees for GPs, increased and new practice supports, and new services for patients, including the GP chronic disease management programme we spoke about.

The number of doctors entering GP training increased by 80% from 2019 to 2024. As a result, the number of GPs graduating has also increased and will increase more in the next few years. Evidence of strong interest in GP training and high-retention among GP graduates shows the positive impact of the Government's increased investment in general practice.

In addition, recruitment from abroad continues under the HSE and ICGP international medical graduate rural GP programme. Under the programme, doctors work in general practice while undergoing a two-year training programme. Currently, there are 118 such GPs in placement, while a further 18 have completed the course. The number of HSE-contracted GPs has increased by approximately 7% since 2020, although this is a key-target area for growth.

The recent ESRI publication on the future capacity requirements for GP services confirms the need to continue to increase our GP workforce in light of our growing and ageing population. The strategic review of general practice will be completed this year and will provide further recommendations to improve GP capacity and the sustainability of our general practice service.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her response. There is an assertion out there that GPs are being trained and are then leaving the country. My colleague, Deputy Colm Burke, tells me that is not the case. The turnover of GPs is typically 5% to 6%, which is very low. The Minister has laid out the potential GPs entering the system through the various channels which is really positive. Perhaps the Minister could deal with the assertion they leave as fast as they come in and that they go abroad the minute they qualify.

My own Dáilcheantar, Dublin Bay North, is quite mature. We have a particularly difficult issue, in that I am contacted a lot by constituents looking to register with a GP, in particular younger people moving into the area and looking to register with a GP practice but who cannot do so.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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What we are talking about is the continued need to expand GP services, as we have pushed more and more services into the community and that is where we want services, such as the chronic disease management programme we discussed, to be delivered. It is the case that the number of GPs is increasing, albeit at different rates in different regions, but we have a particular challenge in rural Ireland. That is one of the reasons there is now a dedicated programme in the University of Galway. It is a specific rural GP programme to address some of the different slightly specialised issues. That is why I met the Medical Council recently. It was to address such cases as those of Irish people who trained in this system and got three or four years' experience abroad, who come back to Ireland and wish to work as a GP immediately. We need to make sure those people's registration process is triaged and expedited by the Medical Council, there being no reason those people should not be activated to work, as they wish to do and their communities need them to do, as quickly as possible. I have a good detailed list of the number of HSE contracted GPs. It is increasing. It is an option that was clearly identified in the programme for Government. Not everyone wants to set up a business. Some people want to work in a different structure and we are trying to enable more and more of that.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I support that, given that there are different models clinicians will want to work under. As the Minister said, not all of them will want to take the risk of setting up a GP practice with everything it entails. The Minister mentioned the chronic disease management programme. That is a classic example of where GPs have helped to make a big difference and it is clear from the HSE's assessment that they have been key in all the outcomes the Minister mentioned earlier.

Will the Minister comment on the issue of GPs leaving and whether it is a factor? She may not have that information today. It would be useful if she could share it at some stage so that we can deal with the issue that GPs seem to be leaving. I do not believe it because I know many of them and they are still here.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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In fairness to the Irish College of General Practitioners, it has done a huge amount of work as regards having more GPs trained and putting in place a programme for people who have worked abroad and now want to work in Ireland. It has a two year programme whereas for the normal training, people would have to produce evidence of having worked abroad.

One of the things we need to fast-track in a lot of areas, especially growing urban areas, is the provision of primary care centres so a whole range of services are available. One of the things that is happening with GPs is that they are specialising. Therefore, it is important that a primary care centre is in place to provide a whole range of services and it allows GPs to deliver a far more comprehensive service in an area. The Department should work further on and encourage the HSE to deal with the issue of delivery primary care centres in a timely manner.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I agree on the delivery of primary care centres. It is difficult for me to speak in general terms about GPs or other medical staff leaving because there will always be a case of someone who has done that. It is not the general trend of what we are seeing. There is clearly work here. There is the opportunity to set up a business and work in one's own practice. There is the opportunity to work in HSE primary care centres and other more directly employed opportunities, that is to work in different ways and there is clearly a need for that. Notwithstanding that, the contracts in 2019 and 2023 were favourable and there is an opportunity to continue to expand practice. There are now direct diagnostic referrals from GPs to try to get GPs operating at the absolute top of their practice and experience. It is very attractive.

On the recent dialogue in the Dáil about the cost of living and some of the challenges in the price of groceries and other things, it is a source of great frustration to me that we have expanded eligibility for GP access cards to 430,000 people and only 72,000 of them have taken it up. We have tried to communicate. We will do more to try to communicate, but I ask every Deputy to communicate to their constituents as there are people who are entitled to free GP access cards. We are delighted to pay for them and it would be wonderful if they would take it up.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I will go back to Question No. 13 and Deputy Carthy.