Research reveals 175 doctors self-report working as GPs in Kildare
The findings were revealed by the Medical Council of Ireland
Newly-released research from the Medical Council of Ireland (MCI) has revealed that 175 doctors self-report working as General Practitioners (GPs) in County Kildare.
The findings come from workforce reports which were launched today by the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD (Fine Gael) at the MCI’s offices at Kingram House, in Dublin 2.
According to the MCI, the reports, which are collated in the ‘Medical Workforce Intelligence Report 2025’, are made up of analysed data from doctors registered in Ireland in 2025.
Specifically, the reports examined:
- Doctors who retained their place on the MCI’s Register and were clinically active in Ireland
- Doctors clinically active abroad only and doctors not clinically active in 2025 (Via the supplementary workforce report — doctors who retained their place on the Register but reported not practicing medicine in Ireland during the year)
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KEY FINDINGS
Some of the key findings in the ‘Medical Workforce Intelligence Report 2025’ include:
- In 2025, there were 5,017 GPs throughout Ireland, an increase of 5.3 per cent from the 2024 figure
- There are 175 GPs working in County Kildare, which accounts for 3.5pc of all GPs in the country
- In 2025, there were 22,257 clinically active doctors practising medicine in Ireland, representing 75.6pc of doctors who retained their place on the Medical Council Register, showing that the overall size of the Register does not directly reflect the number of doctors working on the ground
- The most commonly reported barriers identified by doctors were pressure on workloads, time spent on administration and bureaucracy, and overcrowding
- GPs reported the highest rate of difficulty providing safe patient care of any group of doctors, with 34.7pc experiencing barriers at least weekly
- 56.6pc of doctors obtained their basic medical qualification in Ireland
- 1,712 doctors retained their registration, but reported not practising medicine anywhere, in Ireland or abroad (5.8pc of those retaining).
- 5,459 of doctors were clinically active abroad only, equating to 18.6pc of those retaining their place on the Register, up from 15.6pc in 2024
Welcoming the research today, the MCI’s president, Professor Deirdre J Murphy, said: “This report reflects a workforce that is growing and becoming more diverse, and a diverse medical workforce is good news, reflecting the changing demographics of patients and communities across the country.
“The data is equally clear that too many doctors are telling us that workload, administration and overcrowding are getting in the way of the care they want to provide.”
Prof Murphy continued: “As President of the MCI, my priority is to ensure that these findings translate into evidence-based action, so that patient safety remains at the centre of how we support and regulate the profession; this is why the collaboration and partnerships we have with the Department of Health and the HSE are so important.
She concluded: “I want to thank every doctor who took the time to respond to this year's Annual Retention Form questionnaire; in doing so, they are contributing directly to our understanding of the future of the workforce.”
In addition, Minister Carroll MacNeill had this to say at the launch: “The MCI’s ‘Medical Workforce Intelligence Report’ provides valuable insight into Ireland’s medical workforce.
“High-quality workforce intelligence is essential if we are to plan effectively for the future health needs of our population and ensure patients continue to receive timely and high-quality care.
Minister Carroll MacNeill also said that while she welcomed the ‘growth in doctor numbers’ and ‘the continued progress towards greater gender balance across the profession’, she also stressed: “At the same time, the report highlights challenges around medical workforce supply, workload and long-term workforce sustainability.”
The Minister concluded by asserting: “The report is an important input into evidence-based workforce planning, and our collective ambition to build a sustainable medical workforce to deliver high-quality, equitable and safe healthcare for the people of Ireland.”
The ‘Medical Workforce Intelligence Report 2025’ can be read on the official MCI website.