Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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296. To ask the Minister for Health if trained medics amongst the Ukrainian community, including nurses, doctors and so on, could be allowed to practice in centres around the country, provided that they have the relevant paperwork, given that there is a shortage of GPs around the country and that many Ukrainians are finding it difficult to access GP-care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54005/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas. It has implemented a number of measures and increased investment in general practice significantly to improve recruitment and retention. Under the 2019 GP Agreement the 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. Furthermore, the number of GPs entering training has increased steadily over the past number of years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 258 in 2022, and following the transfer of GP training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), the ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026. This will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.

Officials from my Department have been working closely with colleagues in the HSE and the six health profession regulators to examine ways to support Ukrainian doctors, nurses and others arriving in the State. The regulators fully recognise the importance of assisting health practitioners arriving in the State and have been actively examining the measures that might need to be taken to further support Ukrainian health professionals in Ireland.

The HSE is fully committed to supporting Ukrainians working in healthcare in Ireland and is currently working on providing employment pathways for those with health care qualifications and/ or experience.

The Medical Council is also actively examining the measures required to assist Ukrainian doctors in Ireland with the registration process. It is continuing to work with stakeholders and has a dedicated webpage and email address for Ukrainian doctors.

My Department, along with the Medical Council and the HSE will continue to ensure that all avenues are being explored with a view to enabling Ukrainian qualified doctors to apply for registration, always conscious of the need to ensure that patient safety, is to the fore of any decisions regarding registration.