I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter in the House this evening. I am very familiar with the work of Save Our Sons And Daughters, or SOSAD, which makes a significant contribution to the provision of counselling services in north-east Leinster. It is important that this be acknowledged, as I have done previously. SOSAD is not currently funded by HSE Louth Meath Mental Health Services. I am aware that, in August 2023, SOSAD applied for section 39 funding. This was not progressed at the time, as HSE Louth Meath Mental Health Services were not procuring new services, given that all funding had been allocated in line with the HSE national service plan. I understand that, last year, SOSAD's financial situation deteriorated due to a reduction in fundraising and donations. We saw that a lot around the country post Covid. This was brought to my attention in autumn and I met with SOSAD in November. As the Deputy stated, we had a very good meeting. Officials from the Department of Health were also present to discuss the situation. I was very clear at the time. I asked for an amount of interim funding to be provided to help get SOSAD over the Christmas period, following which it could meet with the HSE and try to agree a service-level agreement going forward. Funding to organisations such as SOSAD is arranged through the section 39 process via local HSE mental health services. It is not directly allocated by me. Following the meeting, I requested that HSE staff from the Louth-Meath area would make contact with SOSAD to outline the steps to be taken for any potential funding application. I accept that the initial contact was slow. It was slower than I would have liked. When I came back after the election, it was one of the first things I checked. I am glad that HSE Louth-Meath has been in direct contact with SOSAD for approximately two months now. My office receives regular updates on these engagements. As per any negotiations between the HSE and any charity or organisation, there is a requirement to provide information such as audited accounts, annual reports, governance arrangements and board of management details, so that the HSE can undertake due diligence as part of its consideration of any potential funding arrangements. That applies to all NGOs and organisations funded by the HSE through the mental health budget. I understand that SOSAD is now working to provide all of the relevant information to the HSE. However, I take on board the point Deputy Byrne makes that, while SOSAD is trying to provide this information, it is in a critical situation. The HSE in the Louth-Meath area is supporting SOSAD in its readiness to meet the corporate and clinical governance requirements. Deputy Byrne referred to the 206 volunteers and how the organisation had been in place for 17 years. I accept and acknowledge all the good work SOSAD does, but there are requirements to be met in order for us to fund any individual organisation to provide supports. With 206 volunteers, clinical governance and corporate governance are essential in order to receive State funding. That is the case across any organisation. Nationally, a key objective of mine is to improve access to counselling and to enhance supports for suicide and suicide bereavement. I have allocated additional funding for these services this year. I was struck by Deputy Byrne's comment about the gender breakdown of approximately 65% female, 35% male. We see that all over the country, whereby two thirds of all mental health services are accessed by females and only one third by males. That is a real challenge. I will come back in again.

Sentiment score: 0.14

I thank the Deputy for her advocacy on behalf of the SOSAD suicide prevention group. I do not want to see this service close. I cannot be clearer than that. I understand how uncertainty around services can be very distressing for service users and their families. SOSAD is providing vital supports to many. I reiterate the point that I do not negotiate with individual organisations myself. It is the HSE that is provided with the budget and it actions that budget to provide support and services all over the country. In order for that to happen, grant aid agreements with any organisation must be compliant with relevant governance codes and aligned to transparent financial arrangements such as audited accounts. To this end, relevant due diligence must be carried out. Specifically, HSE Louth Meath Mental Health Services has requested information on corporate and clinical governance in line with HSE policies and has provided guidance on the work that SOSAD will need to undertake to comply with the policies ahead of consideration of HSE funding of SOSAD.  This will take time.  I recognise the frustration and challenges of SOSAD; however, these steps are essential and the HSE is not in a position to provide funding in the absence of assurances on corporate and clinical governance. I have explored every single avenue I can to get some interim funding for the organisation, but the HSE keeps telling me it is not in a position to provide funding in the absence of the assurances on corporate and clinical governance.  The HSE remains available to SOSAD should any further guidance on the necessary work be needed.  I have engaged with my officials weekly since Christmas on SOSAD.  It is top of the agenda.  I want to see SOSAD continue doing its good work.  I will keep a really close eye on this.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I thank the Deputy for his question.  This is my first time speaking to him as a Deputy.  Congratulations. The Minister for Health has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising these matters and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on these important issues.  The Government is clear that primary care centres are a very important part of the infrastructure needed for our health service. They provide a single point of access to healthcare services for patients in communities and are central to moving significant amounts of healthcare away from our acute hospitals.  Significant progress has been made in the delivery of primary care centres, with 179 opened to date. The need for a new primary care centre in Gorey was identified as part of the overall primary care centre development programme and had progressed under the operational lease model.  However, the selected provider encountered difficulties regarding viability of the project and, following engagement to attempt to resolve the issues, the HSE decided last year to withdraw from this process and re-advertise in order to progress a primary care centre for Gorey. The HSE conducted a review of the current and future service needs for the Gorey area, and it re-advertised the primary care centre on the eTenders procurement platform in November 2024, which is the first step in the procurement process. The second step in this process will involve publishing the next stage of the advertisement to eTenders before the end of this month.  I await the publication of the e-tenders because a bundle of primary care centres is included, one being in Lismore, in my area.  I have met the new regional executive officer of that area, Martina Queally, regarding capital projects in the south-east area.  She has a new team in place.  An analysis has been done of every single project and how each can be moved along as quickly as possible. The second step in the process will involve publishing the next stage of the advertisement on eTenders before the end of this month.  We will keep a very close eye on this. On the issue the Deputy raised regarding measures being taken to address the shortage of GPs in north Wexford and south Wicklow, under the GMS scheme the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.  Where a vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes actively involved in the recruitment process to find a replacement GP.  As of December last, there were 21 GMS vacancies, which is less than 1%, and no vacancies in Wexford or Wicklow. A number of measures have been taken in recent years to increase the number of GPs practising across the country and to improve access to GP services for all patients. Annual intake to the GP training scheme was significantly increased by approximately 80% from 2019 to 2024, with 350 new entrant places made available from 2024.  Everybody will welcome this but I acknowledge that it takes several years for them to come on stream. Furthermore, the recruitment of GPs from abroad is ongoing.  As of October last, there were 114 international medical graduate GPs in practice, and funding has been provided to recruit up to 250 more GPs from outside Ireland this year.  Placement of these GPs is targeted at rural and underserved areas. The Minister wishes to assure the Deputy that this Government remains committed to both the continued development of primary care centres, including in Gorey, and to increasing the number of GPs practising throughout the country.

Sentiment score: 0.31

The need for a new primary care centre in Gorey was identified as part of the overall development programme and had progressed. The Deputy mentioned HSE incompetence, but the selected provider encountered difficulties regarding viability of the project. More than one project was involved; I know that for a fact. This is under an operational lease model. It is a new model the HSE is undertaking to deliver these primary care centres. In fairness, as regards the fact that the selected provider encountered difficulties regarding viability of this project and others, it was back to the drawing board and it had to be retendered before Christmas. I was as frustrated as the Deputy when I heard this news. Quite a few primary care centres in the south east are included in that. We will keep a very close eye to make sure that it is up on eTenders before the end of the month. We will all welcome that progress, seeing as there are two Deputies and the Ceann Comhairle from the south east in the room at the moment. I reiterate that every effort is being made to provide as many GPs as possible. From 2023 to 2027, between 1.5 and three GP graduates will onboard for every expected GP retirement, and that is really positive. However, I take on board the point the Deputy made. There are some areas with significant challenges, huge waiting lists and people having to wait longer for GPs than they ever had to do previously, and it can be very frustrating. It is difficult for people when they move into a new area. If they do not have a medical card, they can find it hard to become part of a GP practice. We are aware of that. The only way we can resolve it is by having extra GPs, and please God they will come on stream as soon as possible. I thank the Deputy. I have no doubt I will be back in here again to answer about Gorey primary care centre.

Sentiment score: 0.11