I have been contacted by a number of constituents in Wicklow who are unable to access GP services. They are unable to register or have lengthy waits for appointments. I did a survey in Wicklow and 70% of the GP surgeries I contacted in the area are not accepting new patients. One GP in Arklow has more than 200 people on the waiting list. Surely the fundamental principle of a health service is that people can easily access a GP. What is the Minister for Health doing to ensure that people in Wicklow and across the country are able to access GPs when they need to?

I thank the Deputy. This is an issue she and I have been involved with in the past. We once faced a situation where constituents were telling me, and no doubt were telling her too, that from Wicklow town, through Greystones and to Bray, they were unable to access a GP, whether as a private patient or a general medical services, GMS, patient. It is an issue around the country and is worse in some places than others. It is difficult in some parts of Dublin and in rural areas. We are in the middle of a large expansion of the GP workforce. We have tripled the number of training places available. The Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, is bringing in several hundred GPs from abroad, including from South Africa and other countries. The levels of this year's applications for the GP training scheme are the highest we have ever had. There has been a big increase. Word is getting out and demand among medical graduates for these GP places is increasing. The ICGP believes that over the next few years, the increase in demand will resolve the problem. However, there is still a short-term issue. We are working with the ICGP to bring in international GPs to help in that regard.