Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has said new HSE information exposes the Government’s failure to ensure GP services have kept pace with Wicklow’s growing population and broader population growth across the State, leaving thousands of people struggling to access a family doctor.
Analysis of HSE figures shows that while the State’s population increased by approximately 10% between 2020 and 2025, the total number of GPs increased by just 6.4%. The figures also reveal that the number of publicly contracted General Medical Services (GMS) GPs, those who have signed up to the scheme for patients with medical cards and GP visit cards, increased by only 2.3% over the same period, while the number of non-GMS GPs increased by 26.8%.
The HSE has also confirmed that 5,775 people have already contacted its GP Assignment Office in 2026 seeking assistance in finding a GP, demonstrating the scale of the crisis.
Teachta Brady said:
“These figures show a Government that has allowed GP services to fall behind the needs of a growing population. While the population across the State grew by around 10% between 2020 and 2025, and by circa 13% in Wicklow, GP numbers simply have not kept pace, particularly within the public system.
“The number of GPs providing care under the General Medical Services scheme – relied upon by medical card and GP visit card holders – increased by just 3.85% over five years across Wicklow.
“Wicklow is one of the fastest-growing counties in the State, yet GP services have not expanded to meet that growth.
“My office is inundated with people, many of whom have recently moved into the county and into rapidly expanding towns such as Blessington, Greystones, Newtownmountkennedy and Wicklow Town who simply cannot register with a local GP because practices are at capacity and waiting lists have closed.
“This reality is reflected in the 5,775 people across the State who have had to seek assistance from the HSE GP Assignment Office in 2026 because they could not find a GP willing to accept them as a patient.
“General practice is the foundation of our health service. We need a serious workforce plan that delivers more GP training places, expands GMS contracts, makes it easier for newly qualified GPs to establish practices, and provides targeted supports to recruit and retain GPs in underserved communities.
“The Government cannot continue to ignore the reality facing families across Wicklow. Population growth has outstripped GP services, leaving too many people without access to the care they need when they need it.”
ENDS