Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity to raise this very important matter on behalf of the people of Ballinagh. I join in the words of welcome to the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, and I thank him for coming to the House to deal personally with a matter relating to his own Department and for agreeing to take this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health.

I wish to share my time with my colleague, Senator Kathryn Reilly, if that is agreeable.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Agreed.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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On 25 February 2008, my colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, the then Minister of State with responsibility for children, opened the new state-of-the-art health centre in Ballinagh, County Cavan. This fine facility which cost in the region of €1.3 million, replaced the old and outdated centre on the Crossdoney road. The centre contributes significantly to the provision of quality health services in Ballinagh and the surrounding areas. This excellent facility gives people direct access to integrated, multi-disciplinary teams of nurses, home helps, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and until a few weeks ago, a general practitioner was in situ four days a week.

Over the past weeks I have been contacted by a large number of concerned citizens in the Ballinagh area, including among them, former Councillor Charlie Fleming and Mrs Bridget Delaney who were instrumental in campaigning for a new centre to be constructed and also my colleague, Councillor Patricia Walsh, has been in contact with me in this regard.

The local community has expressed grave concern as to the impact of the withdrawal of GP services on the local community, and also the impact on the local pharmacy. There are grave concerns that this pharmacy may be forced to close as a result of GP services being withdrawn from the state-of-the-art health centre. I urge the Minister and to have this urgent situation rectified as soon as possible.

Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein)
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I thank Senator Wilson for sharing time with me on this issue. As he mentioned, Ballinagh has only had a brand new health centre in the past few years and it provides critical services to the local community. The removal of the GP service in the area will inflict a significant blow not just on Ballinagh but on the surrounding areas. What is the guarantee that other towns like Kilnaleck, beside Ballinagh, will be safe? The new state-of-the-art facility in Ballinagh was a momentous event for the town and it signalled that primary health care would remain at the heart of the community and that elderly people would not have to travel extensively for primary care services. This is a critical service providing critical access for people. I urge the Minister, on the day when Cavan General Hospital has the second highest number of people waiting on trolleys in the State, to intervene to ensure that Ballinagh has a GP service and to ensure that frontline care services are kept intact. The removal of GP services will significantly set back the delivery of primary health care services for Ballinagh and its catchment area. I urge the Minister and the HSE to intervene.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, who is unable to be in the House to take this matter and he has asked me to do so on his behalf.

The general practice at Ballinagh health centre has a substantial number of general medical service clients. Currently, there is only one GMS GP within the practice as one GP resigned recently on health grounds and another GP has been on long-term leave. The suspension of GP services in Ballinagh health centre is a short-term measure pending the sourcing of the services of a locum.

The EU-IMF programme provides for the introduction of legislative changes to remove restrictions to trade and competition in sheltered sectors by the end of the third quarter of 2011. This includes eliminating restrictions on GPs wishing to treat public patients. The Department of Health is preparing proposals for consideration by the Government in relation to this commitment. The Government is committed to establishing a strong system of primary care in Ireland. The appointment of a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for primary care is a clear indication of our intentions in this regard.

The development of primary care teams and primary care centres is a priority under the programme for Government. This will significantly increase health and social care in local communities which will be achieved by redirecting services away from acute hospitals. Modern, well-equipped primary care centres will be central to the effective functioning of primary care teams. The centres will allow multi-disciplinary services provided by GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others, to be made available on a single site, providing a single point of access for the user, and will encourage closer co-ordination between providers. The new centres will greatly assist in the provision of modern services, particularly the provision of chronic disease management by multi-disciplinary teams.

There are significant variations across primary care teams in terms of their stage of development and the number of clinical team meetings held, the number of patients discussed and the number of patient care plans agreed. It is a key priority for this Government that all teams are fully functional. The HSE has been asked to make significant progress on this issue over the next 12 months.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. I am glad to note he said this is a temporary setback. I wish to record my admiration for Dr. Prior and his colleagues who provide an excellent service in the health centre. Unfortunately, it is the responsibility of the HSE to ensure that the GP service is in place in Ballinagh. The situation has been ongoing for a number of weeks and it is causing significant difficulties for elderly people in particular and people with small children. The pharmacy is in danger of closing as a result of this decision. I urge the Minister to speak to the HSE to ensure that the GP service is provided immediately in the health centre.