Page 54 of A Programme for a Partnership Government speaks of the need to build GP capacity to respond to patients' needs. Later in the document, it mentions guaranteeing the future sustainability of rural practice. Last weekend, Our Lady's Community Hospital in Manorhamilton in County Leitrim was left without any doctor on call to service it. Last June I raised in the House the fact that this county will lose 50% of its GPs to retirement over the next seven years. What is the Government's plan to implement the aspiration outlined in the programme for Government? Clearly, it is failing in the context of Leitrim. What will the Government do to ensure that patients in Our Lady's Community Hospital have access to a GP out of hours when emergencies arise for the population of the hospital? What will it do for that county to ensure that it does not lose the benefit of 50% of its current population of GPs over the next seven years?

As the Deputy may be aware, the rural practice allowance was increased and expanded about a year ago so it is now easier to qualify for and there is more funding for it. This has helped to improve the situation somewhat when it comes to recruiting GPs in rural areas. However, times are changing and the willingness of GPs to work as sole traders is not what it was and there is an increasing expectation that people should be able to work as teams, which inevitably means a smaller number of centralised practices. I cannot give the Deputy any specific details on Manorhamilton or Leitrim. I will ask the Minister for Health to respond to the Deputy in that regard. In terms of the bigger picture, contract negotiations are now underway with the IMO, which is the union that represents doctors. I hope they will come to a conclusion quite soon and that we will be in a position to begin funding it from next year.