The National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) yesterday warned that many rural GP practices are dying out because of a series of government funding cuts.
The Irish Independent has reported that there were 32 GP practices in Ireland where positions remained unfilled at the end of 2014, and some have now shut completely.
Dr Conor McGee, president of the NAGP and practitioner in Scariff, Co Clare, spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime today.
"Practices are closing, they are not viable. The funding government has put available to run surgeries and look after patients isn't enough. The cutbacks have now meant that in certain parts of the country, predominantly rural areas, there are practices with no serving doctor there," Dr McGee explained.
Some doctors hit back at the interview which took place yesterday.
Dr Aifric Boylan moved from Ireland to Melbourne last September and disagreed with the comments made during the show. She spoke to Jonathan Healy on Lunchtime today and said: "It's so much more complex that.
"I left the Irish system because over the last few years, I've been at the crossroads in my career where it's time for me either have my own practice or become a partner in a practice because I'm experienced enough to do that.
"Looking around at colleagues at my stage... they were literally insolvent. They were making a loss.
"How can I make this work if I can't run a viable business?"
Speaking about whether doctors don't get paid enough in Ireland, she stated: "I never went into medicine for those reasons and a lot of my classmates would have been the same.
"However, yes you're right, there would have been a time where it was a very lucrative job.
"What's changed is successive cuts have been made, especially in the last few years or so, to the point where they've cut to the bone.
She finished by saying: "If you're being financially destroyed, and GPs are, there certainly is no base to rebuild anything. You need to have some sense of support.
"Doctors feel they are being destroyed. There has to be a bit of mutual respect."
