Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the Health Service Executive does not have a contract with general practitioner trainers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12036/07]

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that general practitioner trainers intend to resign their position on 1 July 2007 and from that date they will no longer train GPs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12037/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 103 together.

General Practitioner vocational training is conducted under the auspices of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) through vocational training programmes funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE). There are 11 such programmes and these are accredited by the ICGP. General Practitioner Trainers are responsible for providing to GP trainees, within their practices, post-graduate vocational training and practical experience in the clinical, organisational and other dimensions of general practice. In the majority of training schemes the duration of such training is three years.

As the Deputy's question relates to a matter which falls within the remit of the Health Service Executive, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.