John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Health to fully reinstate the rural general practitioner allowance as a matter of urgency to ensure that rural areas are adequately provided with local general practitioner care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8831/16]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Government is committed to ensuring that patients throughout the country continue to have access to GP services, especially in remote, rural areas and also in certain urban areas, and that general practice is sustainable in such areas into the future. There has been a positive engagement between the HSE, the Department and the IMO on a set of proposals for enhanced rural GP practice support and an updated list of special items of service. These proposals arise from the current phase of discussions on the modernisation of the GMS GP contract.

The Department is currently preparing a Statutory Instrument which would give effect to the proposed arrangements. Under the legislation, the Statutory Instrument also requires the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to give effect to the above proposals.