On Friday, the Minister for Health confirmed to me that SouthDoc clinic in Blackpool was to reopen on Monday. At short notice over the weekend, SouthDoc reversed that decision and the Blackpool clinic did not open. SouthDoc has received €7.3 million to provide out-of-hours GP services for the Cork and Kerry region. It has misled the HSE, the Minister, and more importantly, the people of Cork North-Central. I have been raising this issue for months. Will the Taoiseach personally intervene in this matter, contact SouthDoc and instruct it to open its Blackpool clinic as soon as possible? At the end of the day, private operators should not be allowed to treat people like second-class citizens. Everyone is entitled to the same healthcare.

I was involved in the establishment of SouthDoc in my time as Minister for Health and Children. It has provided a range of services across the Cork-Kerry region, including out-of-hours, 24-7 services, GP services and primary care services. The understanding was that the clinic would be opening and SouthDoc has taken that decision. I do not operate SouthDoc but nonetheless I will seek an explanation for the failure to open the Blackpool clinic and the reasons for it and I will revert back to the Deputy.