Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1463. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the level of service required in each GP practice across the State as part of their public service contract; and to make a statement on the effectiveness of this for persons seeking medical assistance in a primary care setting in Donegal and across the State. [10565/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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GPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold contracts with the HSE for the provision of public health services. Information on the various GP contracts, and the services provided under those contracts, is available from the HSE website. The GMS contract, for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holder, sets out the obligations of GPs under that contract.

Under the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner...". Furthermore, the contract requires that GPs be available for consultation by eligible persons during practice hours agreed with the HSE, and that they make suitable arrangements to enable their patients to contact them, or a locum or deputy, for emergencies outside of normal practice hours.

The Government is aware that more GPs are needed to improve access to GP services, and a number of measures have been taken in recent years to increase the number of GPs practicing across the country.

Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice was increased by €211.6m. This provided for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs and new fees for additional services. The GP Agreement 2023 further increased GP capitation fees, increased the existing subsidy rates for practice staff, and introduced a grant support for additional staff capacity as well a practice staff maternity leave support. These measures make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice for doctors.

In addition, specific supports are in place to support GPs in rural areas. The practice support package for rural GP practices was increased by 10% under the 2019 GP Agreement. Practices in receipt of rural practice supports attract the maximum allowable rates for practice staff support subsidies and locum contributions for leave taking.

To increase the number of GPs graduating and entering practice, the number of GP training places available has been increased in recent years, from 202 in 2019 to 350 from last year. Furthermore, recruitment of GPs from abroad is ongoing under the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Rural GP Programme, with 114 IMG GPs in practice as of October last. Placement of GPs under this programme is targeted to underserved and in particular rural areas.

These measures will see the GP workforce grow and improve service availability for all patients across the country.