GP contract negotiations
Deputy Calleary raised the stalled GP contract talks and the impact on medical card holders, including blood test access. The Minister said negotiations were continuing and the existing contract was outdated.
Seventeen Deputies have indicated so far. We have just 15 minutes today. I call Deputy Calleary.
Comment on this
Another issue the Government is putting its head in the sand about is the new GP contract for primary care. Elderly patients are being denied blood tests on their medical card because of this dispute. This issue has been long fingered for long enough. The Government is leaving general practitioners, GPs, waiting and now patients are left waiting. First, will the Tánaiste update us on the position with the GP contract negotiations? Second - the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, might be able to take this question - what is the position on medical card holders who possibly require multiple blood tests in a week as part of their daily care?
Comment on this
The negotiations are continuing. There are two sides to the negotiations, the GPs and the Government. All of us want to see these negotiations come to a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible. We acknowledge that GPs are working under a contract that predates many of them entering the service. It goes back to 1973 and is not fit for purpose. The Government is committed to it both financially and politically but there are many issues to be teased out. We can continue to keep up the pressure from the Department of Health side to try to bring the negotiations to a conclusion as speedily as possible. I am not certain about the second question. What was-----