The lack of access to GP services has become a serious matter of concern for many of my constituents in County Wexford. For those patients lucky enough to have a GP, the waiting times for appointments are far too long, especially in rural areas with some waiting for up to three weeks. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. What about the people who cannot get a practice to take them on as patients, particularly people whose family doctors have retired or citizens who have moved from one village to another? Where or who do they turn to? I am constantly being contacted by people who have real health and medical needs. I am also being contacted by a large number of people who are just above the threshold for a medical card or GP service card. When they contact the HSE, these people are told it is not its responsibility. Has the Government any plans to address this problem of accessibility and the replacement of retired doctors in my county?

People allocated a medical card are allocated a GP. That is the basic position. Now, there is an issue with access to GPs more generally. That is acknowledged. Part of the response has been to significantly increase the number of people in training in general practice. There are different figures in this regard, but my understanding is that for every one retired doctor, there are at least two in training. We must keep this focus and get more people into training because undoubtedly there are real challenges, particularly in rural Ireland, but also in urban Ireland, as was pointed out by some Deputies yesterday. I accept there are issues with access to GPs.