Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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776. To ask the Minister for Health the plans in place to address the severe shortage of GPs in Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15557/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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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. As of the 1st of March, there are 2,553 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme, and a further 621 GPs that do not hold a GMS contract but hold at least one other contract with the HSE for the provision of health services.

Where a person that holds a medical card or GP visit card, experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE Eligibility Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list in accordance with the GMS contract. All persons aged 70 years and older and all children under 8 years of age are eligible for a GP visit card.

Persons who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. Where a GP practice has a full list of patients and cannot take on new patients, patients should contact other practices in the surrounding areas. The HSE website provides a "Find a GP" facility which can assist in finding nearby GP practices.

A number of measures have been taken in recent years to increase the number of GPs practicing in the State and thereby improve access to GP services for all patients across the country.

Significant increases in investment in general practice has been provided under the 2019 and 2023 GP Agreements. The Agreements provide for increased GPs fees, new fees for additional services, and increased practice supports. These measures make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice for doctors.

Annual intake to the GP training scheme has been increased by approximately 80% from 2019 to 2024, with 350 new entrant training places made available from 2024. 346 new entrants commenced training last year, a 21% increase on the previous year’s intake of 286. Furthermore, recruitment of GPs from abroad is ongoing under the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Rural GP Programme. 119 IMG GPs were in practice as of November last and funding has been provided to recruit up to 250 more GPs from outside Ireland to the country this year.