Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will start by thanking the Cathaoirleach for facilitating today's visit by Athy Sing and Sign. He has been to the fore as regards the Irish Sign Language, ISL. Athy Sing and Sign has always put it first. It is a great group led by Ms Maggie Owens along with Ms Linda Dobbyn, Ms Mary Byrne, Ms Breda Moore Flynn and Ms Majella Harris. Of course, who could forget Mr. Aiden McHugh? The group promotes ISL at every opportunity and it was great to meet it today. The Cathaoirleach and the group discussed a number of interesting proposals on progressing ISL vis-à-visother sign languages around the world. I look forward to assisting him in that as it is worked through. Today's visit was good and appreciated, and I wish to put on the record how proud we in the town of Athy are to have such a group among us. I congratulate it on the great work it is doing in our community.

I wish to raise the issue of the lack of GPs. This is a particular problem in the commuting counties. I am sure the Leader will have encountered it as well. I have had representations from Louth, Laois, Carlow, Wicklow and my own county of Kildare. We have provided housing in certain places and people have come to live and join the communities there, but they cannot find GPs. It is a major problem in south Kildare in particular. I have written to the Minister and the HSE. In its latest reply to me, the HSE stated that it had no role or authority in assigning a GP to a private patient. Where do we go from here?These people have young children and are raising young families, and they are driving to Dublin to where their previous GP practices were to avail of services for their sick children. One can just imagine putting a sick child into a car or whatever in order to get them to a GP in Dublin an hour or an hour and a half away. It is just not acceptable.

As I have asked before, we need to have an urgent conversation in that regard and bring the Minister for Health into the Chamber. With the retirements, etc., of GPs into the future, it is a huge problem for commuting counties and for rural Ireland. We need a debate on it urgently.