The issue of GP services in Swanlibar has been raised in the Dáil. Cavan-based TD Pauline Tully asked a question of the Tánaiste which was answered by Minister of State at the Department of Health, Mary Butler TD. For the past three years, up until December, the HSE employed a doctor who worked in Swanlibar five days a week, on a three-month rolling locum contract.
The HSE told Deputy Tully that when they advertised a full-time GP position no-one applied and the locum doctor's contract has not been renewed. Instead, the HSE are testing a pilot scheme whereby a GP from Ballyconnell will operate three days a week in Swanlibar. Local residents, however, want to keep their full-time GP who has set up home in the area with his family and who has indicated he would be happy to fill the full-time role.
Deputy Tully said the issue is now being dealt with by the Minister of Health. "I've raised it on the floor of the Dáil," Deputy Tully told Northern Sound, "It was Minister Mary Butler, it was raised with the Tánaiste but Minister Mary Butler took the question and answered it. She did advise to send on the details of this particular issue, which, I have done but, now I've received correspondence from her office that they've passed it on to the Minister for Health because it's under his remit. Now, she did offer to take it up but, now it's passed to Minister Donnelly. I don't mind which of them deals with it if they would just ask the HSE to meet with the Swanlibar Development Association."
