Irish College of General Practitioners welcomes new Chairperson of Board, Dr Deirdre Collins, at in-person Board meeting.

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) is the professional body for general practice in Ireland. The ICGP is the representative organisation for education, training and standards in general practice with 4,200 members, and over 900 trainees in supervised practice. 

At its scheduled June Board meeting, the College welcomed its new chairperson Dr Deirdre Collins, who succeeds Dr John Farrell, who has completed his 3-year term of office. 

Dr Collins is a GP in her hometown of Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, in a multi-doctor practice. She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and completed her training with the Dublin Regional Vocational Training Scheme obtaining her MICGP in 1993. 

Dr Collins is a member of the Kildare Faculty of the ICGP, and former Honorary Treasurer of the Faculty and she is a GP Trainer in the Naas UCD GP Training Scheme. She considers it a privilege to be part of the educational and professional development of our current and future general practitioners. 

In her practice, she also facilitates undergraduate learning for students from Trinity College Dublin. Dr Collins is a former Chairperson of the KDoc Out-of-Hours co-operative. For the last 4 years has served on the Board of ICGP and chaired the Education Governance Committee. 

Dr Collins said: "I am delighted to take up the role of Chair of the College's Board, at a time of significant development and challenges for the GP community. I want to thank Dr John Farrell who has held this responsibility for 3 years, and did a wonderful job at a time of huge expansion in GP training numbers and in the overall role of the College. " 

The Chief Executive Officer of the ICGP, Fintan Foy, said: "We know that Dr Deirdre Collins brings strong leadership qualities to this role, at a time when general practice is experiencing real workforce and workload issues. She brings extensive GP insights into this position, and we look forward to working together." 

Kerry GP Dr Eamonn Shanahan was appointed the President of the College for the coming year at the College's recent AGM. Dr Shanahan is a GP in Farranfore, Co Kerry, who graduated from UCC in 1982 and trained with the Cork Vocational Training Scheme. He passed his membership of the Royal College of GPs in July 1986, and became a Foundation Member of the Irish College shortly after. 

He joined his father in practice in Farranfore following graduation and has worked in rural general practice since. He is the senior doctor in a four-doctor teaching practice. 

Dr Shanahan has been involved in teaching at under and post-graduate level for most of his career and is passionate about medical education. 

Many in the south west will know him as the radio doctor on Radio Kerry, a post he has held for the past 30 years. 

Dr Shanahan said: "Being President of the College is a great honour, and I hope to bring my experience and insights to the role as we approach the 40th anniversary of the College's foundation. The voice of general practice is being heard at senior levels, and we look forward to the publication of the Strategic Review of General Practice in the coming year." ENDS 

ISSUED BY: Aileen O'Meara, Communications Consultant, Irish College of General Practitioners. 

Tel. 01 2542984 / 087 2239830 Email: media@icgp.ie www.icgp.ie