Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1724.To ask the Minister for Health the recommended safe doctor to patient ratio and the average doctor to patient ratio across the State.[34446/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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GPs in Ireland are self-employed practitioners and not employees of the State. As private practitioners, GPs may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. The State does not prescribe a ratio of GPs to patients and does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community.

The Government has taken a number of measures in recent years to increase the number of GPs practicing in the State.

GP recruitment is ongoing under the joint International Medical Graduate Rural GP Programme between the HSE and the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). 121 GPs were enrolled under the training programme last year and it is planned to recruit up to 250 more GPs from outside Ireland this year. The placement of GPs under the programme is targeted to rural and underserviced areas.

The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased significantly in recent years, with 286 new entrants in 2023 and 350 places made available for new entrants for this year. Annual intake to the GP training scheme has been increased by approximately 128% from 2015 to 2024, and the number of new entrant places made available this year is a 22% increase on last year's intake.

The Government is committed to maintaining this increased number of GP training places.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1725.To ask the Minister for Health the number of ambulance staff required to operate an ambulance safely.[34455/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have requested the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.