The government cannot continue to sit on the fence when it comes to reforming and expanding GP care in Ireland, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson P\u00e1draig Rice.<\/p>\n
Deputy Rice made his comments after today\u2019s D\u00e1il debate on a Social Democrats\u2019 motion aimed at solving the GP crisis.<\/p>\n
He said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the government did not oppose our motion, neither did they commit to implementing our plan to reduce costs for patients and expand access to GP services.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still being told that we have to wait until the Strategic Review of General Practice is completed \u2013 something that was promised seven years ago but is still ongoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2023, when it was eventually initiated, the former Minister for Health said it would be completed that year. But now, three years later, we\u2019re still being told that it won\u2019t be completed until later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe time for reviewing is over \u2013 we need reform. Today, we put forward a 20-point plan to do just that \u2013 so where is the government\u2019s proposal?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clear that sticking plaster solutions are not working and that only fundamental reform of the GP model can address this crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Social Democrats\u2019 survey on this issue revealed that some people have to wait weeks to see a GP. In fact, some respondents revealed they had waited months to even be accepted onto a GP list. Others, meanwhile, reported travelling across counties simply to access basic community healthcare services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe core GP contract is now over 50 years old. And even though it has been amended many times, it\u2019s no longer fit for purpose. Take, for example, the fact that we are still expecting most GPs to provide their own buildings. You wouldn\u2019t ask a teacher to build their own classroom, so why would you expect a GP to build their own surgery?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also important to acknowledge that general practice is more than just doctors. GP nurses are indispensable members of their practice teams, and yet their value is under-recognised. At the very least, the terms and conditions of their employment must be aligned with their HSE colleagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur motion also included further measures to increase capacity, such as a strategic workforce plan, more GPs directly employed by the HSE, additional training places and a new locum support system.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn allowing our motion to pass today, the government has accepted that action is needed to improve affordability and access to GP services \u2013 so why aren\u2019t they doing anything about it?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time this government did more than talk about Sl\u00e1intecare \u2013 it\u2019s time they implemented it in full.\u201d<\/p>\n
ENDS
\nFebruary 25, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The government cannot continue to sit on the fence when it comes to reforming and expanding GP care in Ireland, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson P\u00e1draig Rice. Deputy Rice made his comments after today\u2019s D\u00e1il debate on a Social Democrats\u2019 motion aimed at solving the GP crisis. He said: \u201cWhile the government did not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[810,11,726,642,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gp-care","category-health","category-hse","category-padraig-rice","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n