Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending the House and for her reply. Like all Members, I know she recognises the importance of rural GP services. The importance of sustaining rural communities and providing services to them may seem like a broken record, but the GP is at the heart of that. When people retire after a long number of years, they may have 30 or 40 years of service in a community, it can be difficult to find a replacement. The area I have raised is not remote; it is seven miles from Galway city. I live in Moycullen and it covers Rosscahill and Oughterard. It is an increasingly built-up area. Doctors are under pressure. If there is an additional retirement in the coming years without the provision of adequate services, will a young doctor come into that? Would he or she decide to operate a weekday practice and, at the same time, commit to the every four weekends and 48 hours during the week in addition to the normal daytime service? Finding new doctors to come into a situation like that is onerous. There is a demand and, more important, a need in a expanding area. I welcome the provision of additional funds in 2019, which I fought for, but it was not directed to the area that I raise today. I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to bring the issue to the Minister. I will push it at local level to try and secure additional funding for Westdoc and get admission to the doctors serving the Moycullen, Rosscahill and Oughterard areas.