On 28 September Dr. Una O'Halloran notified the HSE that she will be leaving her GP practice in Blarney. She notified the HSE that she was leaving and here we are more than two months later and the HSE still has not advertised the post. Dr. O'Halloran is finishing on 31 December. The practice has almost 2,000 patients, between medical card holders and private patients, and it will mean the loss of a GP service in Blarney. Will the Taoiseach instruct the HSE to put a locum in place in the current clinic? I know of a GP who has offered the HSE to take over that practice as a temporary measure until someone is appointed. At the moment we have the closure of a GP practice in Blarney, when somebody is willing to keep it going. Will the Taoiseach notify the HSE and instruct them to do that? These 2,000 patients could be sent to Ballincollig. The Taoiseach is a Cork man, as is the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, who is sitting next to the Taoiseach. There is no link between Blarney and Ballincollig. How can we justify sending 2,000 patients from Blarney to Ballincollig?

As I understand it, the HSE is endeavouring to get an interim GP in place-----

We have got one. I just want to get the Taoiseach to ask the HSE to do it.

The Deputy asked the question. If he has got one so what is the problem and why did he raise this? It is my view that the HSE should sort this out. That is its job. I cannot sort out every appointment in the entire HSE. It employs hundreds of thousands of people.

They might just listen to the Taoiseach.

It is my understanding - Deputy O'Sullivan's understanding is like the Deputy's, and others have said it also - that an interim GP is what they want. It should also advertise. The Deputy is saying this but it has not happened yet. It should advertise and appoint somebody. I will follow it up with the Minister for Health and with the HSE.

I thank the Taoiseach.