John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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478. To ask the Minister for Health if general practitioners have been allocated to the new primary care centre in Ballyboden, Rathfarnhnam; if not, the reasons for the delay in appointing general practitioners to this centre; and if his attention has been drawn to there being an increasingly serious shortage of GP practices in Dublin South West. [45442/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.

Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently there are 2,522 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme. Where a GP GMS vacancy is set to arise in a practice, the HSE is notified in advance and becomes actively involved in the recruitment process to find a replacement GP.

The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and is working to ensure patients across the country continue to have access to GP services and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.

Under the 2019 GP Agreement, the Government is increasing annual investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023. The Agreement provides for an increase in capitation fees for GPs, additional services, improved family arrangements as well as a targeted €2 million fund to support to practices in deprived urban areas.

A steady increase has been seen in the number of doctors entering GP training over recent years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 258 in 2022. The transfer of GP training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) which was concluded in 2021 will allow for the introduction of a new service model for GP training in Ireland and the further expansion GP training capacity in the years ahead. The ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026.

These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.

With regard to the allocation of a general practitioners to the Ballyboden Primary Care Centre, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this issue, as soon as possible. I have also asked the HSE to provide the Deputy with an update on GMS GP vacancies in Dublin South West.