Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. I thank the Minister of State for taking time from his busy schedule to attend this debate. I wish to discuss the current crisis in general practitioner, GP, care throughout the country and particularly in rural counties such as Monaghan and Cavan. In County Monaghan I spoke to a young couple recently who have just returned home after working in Dublin. They told me they travelled to Monaghan town, where they hope to live, and knocked on every GP's door only to be told that every GP's list was full. They could not get access to a GP. When they went to Carrickmacross they got a similar message. Where are these young people to go for healthcare? The only option available to them is to stand in the queue in the accident and emergency department of the local hospital, which is in Cavan. That is a very sad state of affairs.

Unfortunately, this issue has been with us for some time. GPs have been banging this drum for a long time but the Government has not taken any notice. It has now reached a stage where people simply cannot get access to healthcare. When we get sick the first door we knock on is that of the local GP, but there is a serious problem when that knock cannot be answered. In addition to the shortage of GPs, there is a serious problem with the age profile of GPs. It is estimated that 17% of them are due to retire in the next five years. We are training approximately 180 GPs every year so that illustrates the nature and extent of the problem. Half of the doctors we are training, like many of our nurses and teachers, are jumping on an aeroplane as soon as they qualify and heading off to a foreign land where the terms and conditions of employment are much more attractive. It is a serious problem. I have spoken to some GPs and they told me they are being run into the ground. They are totally stressed out because they simply cannot cope with the numbers coming through their doors. Even when the doors are closed they are still in a serious position and cannot cope.

In summary, we need a health system in which people see the right healthcare provider at the right time and in the right place. The cost of treating a patient in hospital for one night is €1,200. Treating the same patient in their own bed and home costs less than €100. This is a serious problem and must be addressed. It is particularly acute in places such as Monaghan, Cavan and rural areas. We are trying to attract our young people home and to invest in the local economy to create jobs, but there will be a big problem if those people cannot get access to GP care, the first point of access to healthcare when they get sick. I hope the Minister of State will have news of serious attempts by the Government to address this matter.