TD warns GP services across Wicklow ‘at breaking point'
In 2023, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore conducted a survey of GP services across the county and the stark figures pointed to an emerging crisis, as she warned that communities across Wicklow were being left without access to basic healthcare.
Speaking to the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, in the Dáil on Thursday, June 19, Deputy Whitmore challenged the Government's failure to introduce salaried GPs, a key reform promised in the Programme for Government. She also highlighted the results of a new report that showed the need for at least 940 GPs over the coming 15 years in order to meet the demand that exists nationally.
'GP services are at breaking point,' she said. 'They are over-subscribed, under-staffed, and struggling to remain open. It is now standard to wait two or even three weeks for an appointment. That is simply not good enough.
'In 2023, I conducted a survey of GP practices across Wicklow. The results were stark; the vast majority were not accepting new patients. This is a clear sign that the system is under enormous strain and cannot meet the needs of our growing population,' Deputy Whitmore continued.
'Six in 10 GPs nationwide are not taking new patients, one in four GPs are over the age of 60 and set to retire within the next decade, and up to 30pc of newly trained GPs are emigrating. All the while, the population of Ireland is growing rapidly and outpacing GP availability.
'This is a ticking time bomb and it's about to go off. We are not meeting the demands of our communities. The Government is sleepwalking into a healthcare disaster,' she warned.
Deputy Whitmore criticised the delay in publishing the long-promised Strategic Review of General Practice, which began in April 2023 and remains incomplete more than two years later.
'We don't need another review to tell us what is blindingly obvious; we need more GPs, and we need them now. The Government has been far too slow to act, and the consequences are becoming insurmountable.
'We need to see the immediate rollout of salaried GPs, because the current model is deterring young doctors from entering general practice. Many young GPs want to focus on medicine, not on running a business. Salaried GP roles would remove the financial and administrative burdens, restore work-life balance, and allow the HSE to directly address GP blackspots like those in Blessington and across Wicklow.
'GPs are crying out for support and patients are crying out for healthcare. It's time for the Government to stop talking and start acting,' Deputy Whitmore concluded.
The Tániaste conceded it was 'a real challenge in lots of communities' and replied that the annual intake to the GP training scheme had increased by approximately 80pc between 2019 and 2024.
He said there has also been increased investment in general practice and pointed to one of the positive developments in the constituency, which was the roll-out of the out-of-hours GP service in Loughlinstown.
"That service that did not exist five or six years ago," he said.
Deputy Harris said some 118 GPs have chosen to come to Ireland and there are plans to get the number up to 250.
'Let me be clear that I am aware of – and am not in any way disputing – the huge challenges that exist in terms of capacity. People are waiting too long too see a GP. There is a need to ramp up capacity in general practice further, not just the number of doctors but also the number of support staff,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘Completely inappropriate' – Dozens of objections lodged against proposed 24-hour gambling arcade in Ballymun
The planning application seeks permission to change the use of a retail unit to a 24-hour gaming and amusement arcade at Unit 3, The Goulding, Santry Cross, Ballymun, Dublin 9. Lodged by applicant Peter McNally on May 12, the proposal has attracted more than 50 third-party submissions from concerned individuals and groups. Among the objectors are local TDs including Fianna Fáil's Paul McAuliffe and Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne, both citing the proposal's inconsistency with the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028. Deputy McAuliffe called for the application to be refused, pointing to the 'overconcentration of gambling-related businesses, and the importance of preventing further clustering of such uses'. Deputy Hearne echoed these concerns, warning that the arcade would normalise gambling among young people. 'As has been rightfully pointed out by the Gambling Regulation Authority, problem gambling is a major issue in Ireland,' he said. 'A recent ESRI study estimates that approximately one in 30 adults in Ireland suffers from problem gambling. 'There are also direct links between childhood exposure to gambling and problem gambling in adulthood. 'I share concerns that a gaming and amusement arcade will normalise gambling, particularly for younger people. 'The development of an arcade including slot machines and casino gambling is an unwelcome one in this context.' ADVERTISEMENT Learn more He added: 'It should be noted that the proposed arcade would be located near schools and local youth centres.' The Ballymun proposal follows a similar gaming arcade approved by Dublin City Council in Finglas in April despite strong local opposition. That Finglas arcade has since become a focal point for complaints about anti-social behaviour and gambling-related harm, with an appeal now before An Bord Pleanála. There is already a 24-hour casino and gaming arcade at the Omni Shopping Centre, 2.5km from the proposed site. Local youth charity Ballymun Regional Youth Resource (BRYR) warned that another gambling arcade would conflict with its mission to support young people's well-being and resilience. 'Main Street is heavily trafficked by youths accessing school, transport, and local amenities. A gambling arcade would provide convenient access for under-18s and undermine efforts to educate and safeguard vulnerable youth,' wrote youth services manager Geraldine Comerford. The HSE Addiction Service in Ballymun also lodged a strong objection. D. Ashmore, of the service, highlighted research showing gambling has a 'serious impact' on working-class and low-income communities. 'It's what we call a hidden addiction, leading to family breakdowns, debt, and in many cases, domestic violence, homelessness, and suicide,' Ms Ashmore said. 'So, putting a 24-hour gambling arcade in the heart of our community is a flashing red light for anyone in recovery from gambling. 'Most families here are already under financial pressure, so the presence of a 24-hour gambling arcade in a deprived area like Ballymun is exploitative. It targets people at their most vulnerable to addiction. 'We can't have a two-tier system where an HSE Addiction Service clinic is located directly across from a 24-hour gambling arcade — it defeats the purpose of us being here.' 'So, I strongly object to this gambling arcade and respectfully ask that this application be fully rejected,' she added.
Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
GPO to be turned into a museum in attempt to regenerate 'troubled part' of Dublin
The Government is planning to build a national museum in the GPO, with the issue a priority for Simon Harris. The new museum is the centrepiece of an ambitious plan for the regeneration of what is seen as 'the troubled part' of the capital. A Government source said: 'It is intended the museum will act as an iconic venue that could include an arts space, offices and retail outlets.' The GPO on O'Connell Street in Dublin. Pic: Getty Images The proposal will be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Ministers will also consider the report of an interdepartmental group on the recommendations of the Dublin City Task Force, set up by Tánaiste Mr Harris last year to identify measures to rejuvenate the city centre. It is understood that, under plans to go before ministers, the GPO complex will be redeveloped as a flagship project and a mixed-use development. The Government also pledged that there will be 'a wide-ranging consultation given the emblematic importance of the GPO not only to Dubliners but also to the public all over Ireland'.
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Simon Harris 'remains to be convinced' on tax breaks for developers
The Tánaiste "remains to be convinced" that tax breaks for developers will help increase the supply of new homes. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Harris said the Government would take a number of other steps to address viability in the construction sector in the coming weeks. "When I talk to people who are in the industry, and indeed, when I talk to many people who just want a home in Ireland in what is a housing emergency, I think the most important thing is that we get the viability measures right," he said. "There's a range of ways you can make construction more viable, particularly apartments more viable. I think we've taken some of those steps already, providing clarity and certainty around the RPZs [rent pressure zones], the planning permissions extensions, the exempted development changes we're going to make." Asked about possible tax breaks for builders, Mr Harris referenced a Sunday Business Post interview with Ballymore founder Sean Mulryan, who dismissed the idea such incentives could be a solution to Ireland's housing crisis. Mr Harris said: "I think the next big move we need to make on viability will be next month in the National Development Plan, where we will look at how we can better fund and faster delivery around water and wastewater — these are some of the big blocks. "So we look at viability all of the time. I remain to be convinced that tax is the most effective tool, but there are definitely more measures we need to take on viability." Mr Mulryan said tax reliefs were 'not the answer', amid a debate in Government and across the industry over the prospect of a return to Celtic-Tiger-style incentives for big builders.
