Vol. 547 No. 1
485 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he is to proceed with proposals, as announced in the primary care strategy that general practitioners will be given the option to become State employees and be paid a salary by his Department. [1170/02]
The statement to which the Deputy refers was made at the press conference which took place following the launch of the primary health care strategy. However, I did not say that general practitioners would be given the option of becoming State employees as opposed to their current self employed contractors status, but rather that nothing had been ruled out in advance of the discussions that must form part of the normal consultative process which will be embarked upon with the relevant stakeholders and their representative organisations prior to the implementation of the primary care strategy.
486 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on recent comments made by the Irish Council for General Practitioners that a crisis is looming in continuing medical education unless tutors receive more money for their work. [1171/02]
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the Irish College of General Practitioners and neither I nor my Department has been formally notified by that body of any such feeling or concern.
