Ireland is training more GPs than ever, which is welcome, because the need is real. The good news is that the great majority stay and work in Ireland. The most comprehensive data available on this comes from Irish Medical Council registration records linked to GP training completions. It is published by the HSE's National Doctor Training and Planning unit in its Medical Recruitment and Retention Report 2025. It shows that, on average, 85% of GPs who completed training in Ireland between 2016 and 2023 were working as GPs here in 2024. Even among those who qualified eight years ago, more than eight in ten are practising in Ireland. We also know anecdotally that GPs tend to stay in the areas in which they trained.

Source: Irish Medical Council Annual Retention Application Form data, cross referenced with GP CSCST awards, as published in the HSE NDTP Medical Recruitment and Retention Report 2025 - Table 4. Figures show doctors self reporting as working as a GP in Ireland, or in Ireland and another country, in 2024.

GP retention following completion of the 4-year GP specialist training programme is strong, averaging 85% across the 2016 to 2023 cohorts and never falling below 82%, even in the weakest year. This compares favourably with most hospital specialties, bettered only by Psychiatry (93%) and Emergency Medicine (86%). 

The genuine planning risk is not mass emigration of qualified GPs. It is ensuring that the recent large expansion in GP training numbers, converts into retained GPs over the coming years. And most importantly, GPs retention must be strong in geographic areas where GP access or practice availability are poorest. That depends on newly qualified GPs being able to find practice premises, panels and supported posts in the communities that need them. Tracking retention by region over time would let the HSE see where this is working and where targeted support is needed.