Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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181. To ask the Minister for Health his views on directly employing general practitioners in rural areas within the HSE as per the recommendations in Sláintecare. [37557/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 968 together.

GPs are self-employed private practitioners who hold contracts with the HSE to provide services under various public health schemes; there are no plans at present to directly employ GPs. Any proposed model involving salaried GP positions would require careful consideration to ensure the required level of service could be provided for medical card and GP visit card holders.

The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and is committed to increasing the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.

Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice has to date been increased by €206.6m and is set to increase to €211.6m per annum next year when the Agreement is fully rolled out. This provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees and subsidies for additional services. Improvements to GP’s maternity and paternity leave arrangements, increased rural practice supports and a support for GPs in disadvantaged urban areas, have also been provided for.

The GP Agreement includes a commitment to undertake a strategic review of GP services within the lifetime of the Agreement, to examine how best to ensure the provision of GP services in Ireland for the future. Preparatory work on the review will commence this year. The review will examine the broad range of issues affecting general practice, and will set out measures necessary to deliver a sustainable service into the future.