TD warns GP services across Wicklow ‘at breaking point'
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.
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The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
'They have nowhere else to go': Payments for hosting Ukrainians on the rise as centres close
THERE HAS BEEN a considerable rise in the number of households in receipt of the state payment for housing Ukrainians, as the Government has ended the contracts for over 100 centres that were housing them so far this year. Since January of this year an additional 3,125 payments have been made to property owners, representing a 16% rise in payments made under the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme since the start of the year. Sinn Féin has called for a full review of the ARP scheme, and said that it is giving landlords 'tax free' payments and reducing the rental stock in certain counties. The party has also said that the Government has ignored calls for the scheme to be 'means-tested'. At the same time, however, 109 accommodation centres that were hosting Ukrainians have returned to their original use, according to figures provided by the Department of Justice. Agencies involved in arranging local accommodation for Ukrainians have told The Journal that hundreds of Ukrainians have sought out hosting arrangments locally due to these closures, as in many cases the alternative accommodation they are offered is far away, and they have become embedded in the local communities they're in. The Department of Justice has said that 16,900 hosts are currently accommodating almost 39,600 people under the scheme in over 21,800 properties. That means that there are currently over double the amount of payment recipients that there were in January of 2024, when payments were being made in respect of 10,208 properties. A spokesperson for the Red Cross, however, has said that their register of pledged accommodation has seen a steady decline in numbers. Angie Gough, the CEO and founder of Helping Irish Hosts, a network that has been informing Ukrainians and hosts of their rights and obligations under the ARP scheme, told The Journal that that's because there has been a steep rise in the number of Ukrainians that are living with 'solo hosts' who have not gone through official channels. 'There is no other option for people leaving other state accommodation, apart from the private rental market. 'Increasingly people are seeking out 'solo host' arrangements on the internet, and that means that more people are going into unregulated arrangements, where you see a prevalence of Ukrainians being charged 'top up' payments and even rent,' Gough said. Gough said that a full review of the scheme would be 'welcome' with a view to introducing 'stronger safeguarding'. Helping Irish Hosts members at an event in Dublin that marked the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. 'This scheme wasn't created to bypass tenancy obligations. Behind every figure is a person who needed shelter, and someone who offered it. Let's not allow that core human story to be lost in political point-scoring,' she said. Advertisement Since the scheme kicked off in July 2022, over €339m has been paid to some 26,100 recipients in respect of hosting over 56,700 temporary protection beneficiaries. Sinn Féin's Justice Spokesperson Matt Carthy, who requested the figures via a parliamentary question, has called for a full review of the ARP scheme. 'The number of properties in the scheme in some counties is astonishing – for example there are 2,070 properties receiving payments under the scheme in Donegal, while on there are only 20 properties for rent in the county this morning,' he said. Carthy said landlords 'are using this scheme because it is financially beneficial and to avoid tenancy obligations.' He said that the scheme gives 'tax free' payments to landlords, who can also get a 'top up payment' from the Ukrainian tenants of the properties. Carthy slammed the scheme as 'deeply unfair' and said that it gives access to 'non-means tested housing support' to one group of people 'which is available to no others'. He said that the Government has ignored calls for the scheme to be means-tested. Social Democrats TD and Spokesperson on Justice Gary Gannon told The Journal that a survey published by the Red Cross found that of the homes where Ukrainians have been welcomed most have never been RTB registered as rentals. 'This is a system that has worked during the crisis and for families taking people in, it's not a huge amount of money for having somebody living with you when you consider the increase to bills and all of the other aspects that go into it. 'For all these people to be placed into the IPAS system would put a huge financial strain on the system,' Gannon further said. The Dublin Central TD added that he 'absolutely' thinks the ARP scheme should be extended beyond March 2026. 'In the absence of that, we still have a huge number of people who came who are women and children, with childcare needs, and a lot of older people, who haven't been able to access employment. I don't think there's this story of Ukrainians living here 'rent free', lots of people are renting, but there are lots of other variables for those who can't,' Gannon said. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan replied to Carthy and said that there is ongoing engagement between his department and the Department of Housing in respect of the scheme. O'Callaghan added that the scheme has been extended until March of this year, and that the monthly contribution rate was reduced to €600 as of 1 June. This year the Department of Justice set out a plan for closing Ukrainian accommodation centres it is funding across the country, and for 1,800 beds in the student accommodation centre to be returned to their primary use for the upcoming academic year. In areas where this has already happened , Ukrainians have sought out accommodation in their locality, as many who work in the areas they have spent two years in some cases, and others have children attending local schools. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Being a first-time TD: 'The hours are mad, if I finish at 9.30pm it feels like a half day'
YESTERDAY WE CAUGHT up with Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney on her experience of being a first-time TD, today we hear from the Labour Party's Conor Sheehan. At 32 years of age, the Limerick City TD is one of the youngest representatives in the Dáil. He talks us through the highs and lows, adjusting to hotel living and how he sometimes feels like he's talking to a brick wall. Is life as a TD what you expected? 'In ways it is and in other ways it isn't. I'll never forget the first time I stepped into the Dáil chamber. Sometimes I pinch myself when I'm sitting there during one of the week's set pieces like Leaders' Questions or whatever. 'The thing that struck me was actually how small the chamber is and how small the campus is as well. How often you bump into people the whole time.' Pit and peak Sheehan said he has had 'many highlights' so far. Notably, being on the panel for temporary chairs for the Dáil, which means he is sometimes called on to sit in as chair of the Dáil when Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy is not available. Other highlights have been working on legislation. 'It's really interesting, you know, doing committee stage in the chamber, and listening to the amendments,' he said. 'The delay in getting committees set up and everything like that was quite frustrating,' Sheehan said, adding that from a legislative perspective, the Dáil really only kicked into business in the last six weeks. He said at the beginning of the term, he felt like a huge amount of the Dáil schedule was dedicated to statements on a variety of topics, a move he feels was done to 'pad' the schedule because there wasn't much legislation coming through from the government. Sheehan said he finds it frustrating at times, as an opposition TD, to see government TDs vote down opposition bills or amendments and instead come back with a reply that is 'generic blather'. 'The thing that really annoys me is when you go in and you do a private member's motion, or you do a debate or whatever, and it's almost like sometimes the minister is coming in to read a pre-prepared reply and isn't actually engaging with you on the substance of the issues you are raising. 'Now, some ministers are better at that than others, but some are very frustrating. You just feel like you're talking to a wall.' Low point? 'The low point for me was all the crap that happened at the start of the year, around the recognition of the technical group and as to whether the [Regional Independents] were in government or opposition. It was totally unnecessary. 'The whole thing was unedifying… I thought it was a waste of everyone's time, and I don't understand why government were so insistent — Like they've created this other members' questions thing at the moment, which is almost like eight minutes of tumbleweed blowing through the Dáil chamber,' Sheehan said. Is there still animosity between the opposition and government since then? 'I think there is some bit of animosity, but I do think that things are thankfully no longer as tense as they were in the early part of the year,' Sheehan said, arguing that this is probably down to the fact the Dáil was busier in its last few weeks. 'Sometimes when you're in a vacuum, things can have a bit of an undue significance.' Advertisement At 32 years of age, Sheehan is one of the youngest TDs in the Dáil. How is he finding the career change from that perspective? 'The first thing I'd say is there are far too few young people in politics, right? 'I would be friendly enough with some of the other younger politicians, there would be people across different parties that I would be very fond of. 'People like Mairéad Farrell in Sinn Féin. She's great. Keira Keogh in Fine Gael, really, really, great. Just decent people that you can talk to about issues. 'There's an awful lot of people who think politics is just constant hand-to-hand combat, but it's actually not like that. An awful lot of the time, you disagree with people on certain things, but you'll agree with them on other things. And I always believe in finding common ground.' On the commute from Limerick, Sheehan opts for the train over driving so that he can get some work done, but he said this means he does a lot of 'pulling and dragging'. 'I'm used to it now, but people always slag me when they see me in Leinster House, because I always have a big, huge suitcase. 'I feel like I should have shares in Irish Rail at this stage. I drove a couple of times, coming down late on a Thursday, leaving Leinster House, snaking onto the Naas Road and just being like uh, when will I actually get home?' Sheehan said what he found tough initially was sleeping in hotels. 'I would go to bed in a hotel and 10 o'clock would become like one or 2 am and I would literally be wide awake in bed and not able to sleep. 'I would just feel out of sorts. Too hot or too cold, or it would be too loud, or I could hear footsteps. All very much first-world problems, but I did find that stuff, until I got into a routine, a bit tough. Whereas now I'm totally used to it.' Another aspect of the gig Sheehan said he finds tough is trying to maintain a healthy diet. 'You're constantly eating on the go, and it's not the most healthy lifestyle in the entire world,' Sheehan said, adding that his diet since becoming a TD has consisted of 'a lot of chips'. 'One of the things I do miss when I'm in Dublin is just being able to cook your dinner. 'Because I'm currently in and out of hotels in Dublin, I suppose I don't get that. But I love the job. It's really been such an enormous honour and privilege.' What I wish I knew Sheehan said the biggest thing any first-time TD has to be careful of is making sure they pace themselves, both mentally and physically. 'The thing about Leinster House is that the working hours are mad. I've often arrived in on a Wednesday morning around 8 am to get maybe an hour's work done before a committee meeting or a briefing at nine, and then I am still there that Wednesday evening at 10 or 11 o'clock at night.' Sheehan said it is rare to finish up any earlier than this on a Tuesday or Wednesday when the Dáil is sitting. 'I remember one Wednesday, about six or eight weeks ago, we got out at twenty past nine, and I felt like I'd had a half day.' Any surprises? 'The amount of people in a similar situation as myself trying to figure everything out. And the amount of decency that's in the Oireachtas.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Miriam Lord's Dáil end-of-term awards: from cute hoors to rookie errors and good operators
School's out for summer. Some TDs are skipping lightly home with their end-of-term report cards. Others are losing their schoolbags and hoping nobody notices. It's no big thing this year. Continuous assessment is how it goes in politics; and where the class of 2025 is concerned their Dáil and Seanad journeys are just beginning. The general election may have happened last November, but business in both Houses of the Oireachtas only started in January. Business proper took months to get going thanks to the mammoth opening schmozzle over independent deputies who signed up to support the Government muscling in on the Opposition's speaking rights. READ MORE The row derailed Micheál Martin's big day in the Dáil when his election as Taoiseach had to be abandoned amid chaotic scenes in the chamber. The rules were tweaked to allowed these independents, along with government backbenchers, a chance to table questions to the Taoiseach directly after the Opposition's slot. The controversy, which considerably delayed the working of the Dáil, has blown over for now, although the backbenchers and independents attempts at grilling the Boss have been such a damp squib one has to wonder why they bothered making such a fuss about it in the first place. Most unexpected controversy award went to skorts. Here Sinn Féin Oireachtas members stand in solidarity with camogie players who had called for the right to choose between shorts and skorts when playing. Photograph: Sinn Féin But this episode will be not forgotten by the Opposition. Unlike most of the term which followed. Just seven Bills have been enacted this year. That first one was a vital piece of emergency legislation, nobody said. It allowed the Government to increase the number of Junior Ministers on its books to mob proportions and festoon five of its domesticated independents with Super Junior status. The committees are only getting into their stride now. The sluggish start didn't give politicians much of a chance to shine. Much of the new intake barely got a look-in. Maybe some of them might have the makings of a report card by the end of the year. In the meantime, here's a few who made it on to the summer prizegiving list for their performance so far. Top of the class: Jim O'Callaghan Traditionally, this tends to go to a party leader. But none them has had a stellar start. The politician who has stood out in what has not been a particularly competitive field so far is Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan . He has proved the most proactive member of Cabinet so far, he doesn't tend to waffle and his Dáil performances have been measured and conciliatory. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is a close second in a very difficult portfolio. Best senator: Michael McDowell He's been at this politics lark forever now and maybe there are other Seanad performers who deserve a look in, but Michael McDowell has had a great term. Still busy on the legislative front, still the best speaker in the Upper House and still happily batting away the bouquets from people who want him to run for president. He was first senator elected to the 27th Seanad, topping the poll in the National University constituency. No wonder he's been padding contentedly around the Leinster House campus, smiling like a Chesire Cat. Opposition best boy: Alan Kelly The former Labour leader is full of beans these days and when he isn't asking probing questions about Garda accountability (he seems to have a terrific source or two), he's happy out chairing the showbiz Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport. Deputy leader of the Labour Party Alan Kelly is the standout Opposition figure. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Guaranteed a few headlines there and AK-47 isn't going to miss them. Opposition best girl: Jennifer Whitmore The Social Democrat TD for Wicklow is more low-key than best boy Kelly, but that's not a bad thing. Jennifer is consistently good with her contributions across a range of issues and her Leaders' Questions clash with constituency colleague and Tánaiste Simon Harris on the last day of term showed she can mix it with the best of them as she called out a Government of 'epic wasters', which was 'reckless and feckless' with a giveaway budget before the election, but was now 'moralising' about financial restraint. Another Opposition TD who doesn't go in for showboating is Sinn Féin's Pat Buckley (Cork East) who is very considered and thoughtful in his contributions, particularly on social issues. Fianna Fáil's occasionally difficult backbencher, John McGuinness, also had an excellent term. He was elected Leas-Cheann Comhairle and had the satisfaction of hearing the State apology to Lucia O'Farrell, who had long campaigned for the truth surrounding the death of her son Shane, who was killed by a driver out on bail. McGuinness was one of Lucia's staunchest allies all through the years when most TDs had moved on. Cutest hoor in class: Micheál Martin/Michael Lowry This is a tie between Micheál Martin and the independent deputy formerly known (by the Taoiseach) as the disgraced TD for Tipperary North, Michael Lowry . Hard to imagine that Micheál once told the Dáil that Michael was not fit to be a member of that august house after the Moriarty tribunal found that Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister, attempted to help businessman Denis O'Brien secure the State's second mobile phone licence in 1995. This didn't stop the Taoiseach striking a deal with Lowry and his group of Regional Independent TDs who became, in the words of Mary Lou McDonald, 'the wobbly leg of the Coalition stool'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin struck a smart deal with independent TDs. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Micheál bagged a cohort of supporters with benefits who will remain loyal once they are minded, further cementing his government's grip on power. As he will probably bow out at the next election, if not before, the Lowry stroke won't come back to bite him. As to the kingmaker formerly known as the disgraced deputy for Tipperary North, he's thrilled with himself. He couldn't look happier if he was giving the two fingers to that Dublin socialist, Paul Murphy. Mr Congeniality: Cian O'Callaghan The acting Social Democrat leader never seemed comfortable with the tricky situation surrounding prodigal TD Eoin Hayes, who pulled off a shock victory for the party in Dublin Bay South only to be exiled from the parliamentary party for misleading colleagues over when he got rid of shares he held in a company with links to the Israeli military. On one of the many occasions Cian was asked about the party's on-off relationship with Eoin (he came in very handy for ballast when they needed an extra body for committee appointments), he declared awkwardly: 'I said hello to Eoin just last week.' Happily, word came through on Friday that the suspension has been lifted. They have killed the fatted calf and now they can all say hello to each other whenever they want now. Prizes for honesty and courage: Minister of State and Chief Whip Mary Butler and Sinn Féin senator Nicole Ryan During statements on Pride Week, Mary was one of many TDs to speak on the subject. But as it was the penultimate day of the Dáil term, those statements got very little attention. The Fianna Fáil TD for Waterford said she was speaking not only as a minister, 'but as a proud mother, ally and advocate for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in Irish life. I am especially proud of who I am and who my family is. My son is a transgender young man and seeing him grow into his own identity reminds me daily of the urgent need for compassion, dignity and fairness in public policy. 'Sometimes the debate in relation to trans issues rages on social media without facts or understanding. It can be very hurtful. We should all reject those nasty opinions from people who do not understand the hurt and pain for young trans people who have to navigate a difficult enough pathway in their lives.' Sinn Féin's Nicole Ryan won plaudits for speaking out in the Seanad about domestic violence. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Cork-based senator Nicole Ryan was loudly applauded by her colleagues in the Upper House for her moving contribution during a debate on the Domestic Violence Bill. She told how she witnessed domestic abuse as a child, living in a violent home from the age of four to seven. 'As a child, when you're developing through that stage, it shapes how you see the world' she said. 'For two decades, I lived in the shadow of shame.' She learned how to read people. 'I would know the kind of mood that he'd be in by the way that his foot crossed the threshold of the front door.' Her mother escaped, 'but none of us got out unscathed'. Senator Ryan said she was sharing her story 'to stand up for all the other young children that are out there that are living in these homes'. Best gaffe: Darragh O'Brien The Minister for Transport wowed all the guests at the British Ambassador's summer garden party with a lovely speech made all the more enjoyable by the many nice things he had to say about his friend Jonathan, His Majesty's envoy to Ireland. Except that the ambassador's name is Paul. Second place in this highly contested category is Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, for delivering a high-decibel, passionate speech in the Dáil about rip-off grocery prices, fulminating about Irish-owned grocery chain SuperValu being owned by a major American food distribution company. He was one of three SF speakers who made the same mistake, having been fed the wrong information in their supplied scripts. Most unexpected controversy: skorts The row over allowing elite camogie players to choose between wearing shorts or skorts ended up in the Dáil. Minister of State Charlie McConalogue had to deal with it. 'It is important that they come together to find a resolution that is comfortable for everyone,' he wittered, oblivious to the reason why the athletes rebelled in the first place. Most unexpected venue for the launch of a presidential campaign: The High Court Michael Flatley's declared intention to run for the Áras was revealed by his barrister during a High Court case the choreographer has taken in relation to works carried out at his Castlehyde mansion in Co Cork. Flatley is even going to move back to Ireland in the coming weeks to push for a nomination. Rookie error prize for thinking out loud: James Lawless As he confidently breezed through a radio interview with RTÉ's Justin McCarthy at the end of June, the Minister for Higher Education addressed the one-off cash support which students heading to college had enjoyed for the last three years. To fee, or not to fee, that is the question. Well, James? He revealed that student fees 'as things stand' were likely to go up by a whopping €1,000. Chaos ensued. It could have been worse for James as angry constituents piled around the country with complaints about higher fees. But when Fine Gael began muttering about the increase, pressure eased on the Kildare North TD. Amid talk of a rift between the two coalition parties, the FF deputies circled the wagons around James and rallied to his defence. (Even if they were privately raging.)
