The programme for Government refers to the need to build general practitioner capacity to respond to patients' needs and provide access to X-rays, ultrasound and other investigative services, in addition to the need for chronic disease management by those in general practice. The outpatient unit and accident and emergency unit in Clonmel are overrun. Will the Minister visit Clonmel with me? General practitioners have the capacity to provide many of the treatments or carry out many of the examinations I have mentioned. It would reduce attendance at accident and emergency departments by at least one third. That has been proven. It was proven in a pilot project over eight days. We have chaos in the hospitals. Why will the HSE not allow a service to be offered to the public that is positive and good and that would take the chronic pressure off the accident and emergency unit in Clonmel?

That is at the heart of the strategy that the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, is implementing. It is to see more procedures carried out at primary level and reduce the pressure on hospitals. He has endorsed that through the rolling out of a series of primary care centres. These are being built all over the country and they represent a means by which to provide resources in a way that takes the pressure off hospitals. Notwithstanding this, I acknowledge that the caseload in accident and emergency units has risen by close to 20%. As a result and notwithstanding the provision of the new centres, the level of demand relating to accident and emergency services has increased. There are challenges in meeting the requirements.

Bureaucracy.