65. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the actions taken by her Department to ensure the continued existence of a practice (details supplied) in Dublin 1 which is currently facing closure due to provisions introduced in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2003 amending section 1008A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997; her plans to support the existence of medical charities operating GP practices in socially disadvantaged areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10130/25]

Sentiment score: 0.22

Last week, I raised with the Minister the issue of the GP Care For All practice in Summerhill, Dublin 1. In the Visitors Gallery today, we have the chair and the practice manager of that GP practice. It is a very serious situation because, by June of this year, this practice will be facing closure unless there is direct intervention by both the Department of Health and the Department of Finance. In particular, I want to ask about the plans of the Department of Health for the continued existence of medical charities in providing GP practices across the country.

Sentiment score: 0.22

I wish to put on record that three options were offered to GP Care For All, none of which are operable. Option one was the partnership model, which is simply not viable because of the risk GPs would have to take on. Almost 97% or 98% of this practice is GMS-reliant. The second option, which was the hybrid model, and the third option, which was direct subsidy, were not acceptable to the HSE. The options put forward by the Department of Health are not workable and the HSE has paid for Western Urgent Care to come up with proposals to send to the Department of Finance and we have heard nothing back. The onus is on the Department of Health to ensure that the Department of Finance actually acts to ensure that medical charities can continue providing these services because nobody else is providing these services in some of the most disadvantaged areas in the country.

Sentiment score: 0.24

I do not doubt the goodwill there is regarding ensuring GP services, particularly to the 2,600 people on the list in GP Care For All, continue but the reality is that the HSE funding is only for the 2024 liabilities, nothing is in place for 2025 liabilities and I am not hearing any solution. We have a private system of GP care in this country with the result that we have significant gaps across this country in some of the most socially deprived areas and this Government is not coming forward with any solution as to how we put in place GP care in those communities. The medical charity model was a solution to the problem but now, it is being upended and facing closure because of those changes in the Finance Act. I am asking the Minister to make sure that this medical charity can survive and that other ones can be set up across the country.

Sentiment score: 0.29