Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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243. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure GP services are available to residents of Kilcock, County Kildare, given the presence of a primary care centre but lack of GP practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68224/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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244. To ask the Minister for Health if additional GP contracts or supports will be allocated to Kilcock to address the current gap in provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68225/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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245. To ask the Minister for Health the interim measures being considered to support Kilcock residents who must travel long distances for routine and urgent GP care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68226/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 243, 244 and 245 together.

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 2,587 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme. A further 634 GPs do not hold a GMS contract but hold some other contract(s) with the HSE for the delivery of health services. Where a vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes actively involved in the recruitment process to find a replacement GP. While recruitment is ongoing, the HSE put a locum or other suitable arrangement in place to provide continuity of care for the area concerned.

Work is ongoing to increase the number of GPs practicing in the State and thereby improve access to GP services for all patients across the country.

Over €340 million in additional annual investment in general practice has been provided under the 2019 and 2023 GP GMS Agreements. The Agreements provide for increased GP capitation fees, increased and new supports for practices, as well as new fees for additional services. The 2023 Agreement also provided for the expansion of GP visit card eligibility in 2023 to all children under 8 years of age and all those who earn up to the median household income.

The annual intake of doctors into the GP training programme has been increased by approximately 80% from 2019 to 2024, with 350 new entrant training places made available in 2024 and again in 2025. The number of new entrant training places is to increase again next year by 50 places to 400. As a result, the number of GP graduates has increased in recent years and will continue to increase in the coming years.

In addition, recruitment of GPs from abroad is ongoing under the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Rural GP Programme. As of end of Q3, there are 115 IMG GPs within the programme currently placed in general practice and a further 39 have completed the 2-year programme. The placement of IMG GPs is targeted to rural and underserved areas.

In regard to the provision of GP services in Kilcock, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly on this matter as soon as possible.