The Minister of State has heard me say many times before that Fingal is the youngest, fastest-growing area in the country. Balbriggan is the youngest large town in the country and the fastest-growing, yet our D-Doc services are appalling. My understanding is that D-Doc was set up in 2006. Obviously, the population of Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk, and the rural villages of Garrettstown, Naul, Ballyboughal, Rolestown, Oldtown and so on, have all grown hugely since 2006, yet our healthcare services have not expanded in line with population growth. Census 2022 tells us that the north part of my constituency, Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk, and the surrounding villages, has a population of 68,000 people. I have tabled many parliamentary questions for the Department asking what the criteria are to get the expanded D-Doc services, and I am getting no answers back about the criteria. There has been major housing growth and we are continuing to see major housing growth. The reality is that Fingal is the growth engine for housing in Dublin if not the country, yet we have not had the increase in health services, education, public transport, roads or other services that need to go with the delivery of houses. I find it concerning that the HSE service planning is relying on historical data or telling me that what was established in 2006 is suitable in 2026. Something is seriously wrong. Regarding the D-Doc services that are available to us, the parliamentary question response tells me that I can go to Ballymun, Coolock, Hartstown in Clonsilla, which I am not sure I have ever visited before, North Strand Health Centre in Dublin 1, or, the closest, in Swords. The reality is that the Swords D-Doc only stays open Monday to Friday until 11 o'clock and, at the weekends, only from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. We simply do not have access to 24-hour healthcare. You absolutely have to have a car to access any of these health services. There is no direct public transport service to them except for Swords which, as I have just said, closes at either 11 p.m. or 10.30 p.m. It is not good enough and I would really like to understand what the Department of Health is going to do to meet demands in the area.

Sentiment score: -0.03

I appreciate that. As the Minister of State knows, the surgical hub will be a very welcome addition to the area but it will not deal with the critical issue of the fact that people get sick every time of day and night and need access to a GP. The infrastructure exists in Balbriggan. We have a primary care centre. The population demand is clear. The growth projections are clear. What I am concerned about is that the response to the parliamentary question I received told me there were no plans to expand the GP services in the area. I hope that I am hearing from the Minister of State that the HSE and Minister are open to expanding services. I have been that parent who has had to drive two premature twins to Swords to try to find GP healthcare. The reality is that I did not have access to a car at the time and had to ask a neighbour. That is simply not good enough. We have a huge population in the area. We need to have clear criteria from the HSE and the Department about when we can get a D-Doc service and a timeline for expanding the services, and access to 24-hour GP care.

Sentiment score: 0.17