Laois families being left without access to GPs as population increases
Laois TD Willie Aird said the shortage of GPs will worsen in the future as thousands more homes are built
The chronic shortage of GPs in County Laois, and particularly Portlaoise, has been described as "deeply concerning" in the Dáil.
Laois TD Willie Aird raised the escalating shortage of GPs in the county directly with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil on Tuesday, April 28.
The Fine Gael TD pointed out that there is severe pressure being placed on GPs in Laois, especially considering the growth in population and the increasing number of houses being built in the county.
"The population of Laois has risen sharply over the past decade but primary care services have not kept pace," Deputy Aird said.
He particularly highlighted the shortage of GPs in Portlaoise, saying that private patients are finding it increasingly more difficult to access to GPs and some are being left without access.
"The reality is the HSE can assign a GP to a medical card and GP visit card holder, but there are no GPs in the Portlaoise area with capacity and private patients are being left without access to a full-time GP. This is not sustainable for a growing county like Laois," Deputy Aird told the Taoiseach.
He added that this problem will only be exacerbated in the coming years as thousands of homes are planned for Portlaoise alone.
"The Taoiseach knows that we in County Laois have a quota of houses to build over the next seven years, and rightly so. In Portlaoise alone, that number is 5,000 houses."
He urged the Taoiseach to come up with a plan to combat the issue, to which he responded that a strategic review of the sector is under way and the number of GP training places has "increased significantly since 2020."
Deputy Aird welcomed the response but emphasised that real improvements must be made in Laois.
"The reality for many families in Laois is that they simply cannot access a GP when they need one. That is deeply concerning. We are a growing county, with significant housing development planned, and healthcare provision must keep pace with that growth," he said.
Deputy Aird added that urgent action is needed to support newly qualified GPs to set up practices in areas like Laois where demand is highest.
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