Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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422. To ask the Minister for Health if a general practitioner with a contract for a rural area is not turning up to facilitate the clinics at the agreed times, the follow up action which is taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29534/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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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 disadvantaged urban areas, and that general practice is sustainable in such areas into the future.

The HSE has responsibility for contracting GPs for the provision of their services to GMS and GP Visit Card patients. Under the terms of the current GP contract GPs are required to be available for consultation by eligible persons at his/her approved surgery or surgeries, and for domiciliary visiting for a total of 40 hours each week, on five days or more in the week. Any change to these hours requires the prior approval of the HSE.

If a patient has a concern about the availability of a particular GP he/she may wish to make a complaint to the HSE Local Health Office, who will investigate the matter fully. Contact details for all Local Health Offices can be found on the HSE's website.