Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if there will be an increase in the number of general practitioners training places offered in 2010 in order to address the shortage of GP's here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6996/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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There is currently one model of GP training in Ireland, which is provided by the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). This is a four year model, with 2 years based in hospital rotations and 2 years on an approved GP training programme. At present, there are 120 GP training places per year. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is pursuing a number of initiatives to increase the number of new general practitioners entering the Irish health service each year. This work, to date, has focused on a proposal to substantially increase the intake of GP trainees to a potential 160 places per annum commencing in July 2010.

The Executive has reported to my Department that the following are the enabling steps in this process:

Additional GP training places will be made available via a formal re-alignment of existing Non Consultant Hospital Doctor's training posts to the ICGP training programme.

An additional GP training programme is being implemented in Dublin North Inner City.

Forty-five additional GP trainers will be appointed to expand the number of general practice placements on training programmes, with a particular emphasis on areas of deprivation and GP shortage.

Training programmes will be restructured on a regional basis in line with the new HSE regional structures.

The additional training places will be allocated as appropriate to meet the projected needs of the regions as informed by work force planning exercises.