Part of Adjournment – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 4:00 pm on 10 September 2024.
Áine Murphy
Sinn Féin
4:00,
10 September 2024
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle
[Translation: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker]
, and go raibh maith agat
[Translation: thank you]
to the Minister for coming to the Chamber to take part in the debate. I raise an issue that has become one of the most important in my community in recent years and months. As we are all acutely aware, GP access in Fermanagh has become very difficult. Many practices in the North are at breaking point. However, the state of GP practice capacity, especially in rural Fermanagh, is at crisis point.
My GP practice, Lisnaskea medical centre, has approximately 14,000 patients, which makes it one of the largest practices in the North. The issues faced by the practice are well rehearsed and resulted in a contract hand-back in 2022. The lack of GP provision, coupled with increased patient lists, has resulted in demand outstripping supply in relation to GP appointments. The lack of appointments has led to patients and staff becoming increasingly frustrated. Patient and staff frustrations have only continued to grow, and a meaningful Intervention to assist them with the difficulties that they experience is required without delay. The patients and staff of Lisnaskea medical centre deserve better than that, and so do patients in any rural practice.
Patients deserve a service that means that they can get a GP appointment when they need one. Staff deserve an adequate plan to stabilise GP services and, most importantly, to protect them into the long term. Primary care needs to be supported, and direct intervention is required. The over-reliance on locum doctors and temporary staff must change. A plan to properly address the specific issues that rural practices face, such as the recruitment and retention of staff, as well as multidisciplinary team (MDT) roll-outs, can act as a foundation to relieve some pressure in the primary care sector.
Cheann Comhairle
[Translation: Mr Speaker]
, if you would indulge me, as I am aware that this is not Question Time, I should like to ask the Minister for an update on the long-awaited new build for the Lisnaskea health centre, because I have submitted questions over the past few months and years on that. Is the Minister willing to meet me to discuss specific issues around GP provision in south Fermanagh?
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.
