The Taoiseach is insisting the coalition is not going back on plans to introduce free GP care. It follows reports today that the government had dropped the promise to give free doctor visits to all.
But Enda Kenny has told the Dáil that the original plan to introduce the scheme first for just those with long-term illnesses was "a jungle" and needed to be looked at again.
And despite calls from the opposition for Health Minister James Reilly to resign or be sacked the Taoiseach is giving him his full backing this evening.
The Fianna Fail Health Spokesperson Billy Kelleher said earlier it was time for Dr. Reilly to go.
"Quite clearly we're very concerned now that Minister Reilly is just incapable of delivering the reform that he spoke about so passionately two years ago" he said. "We now have a central plank of the health policy being completely undermined in the last couple of days - we now know that free GP care is not going to happen as propsed by the government".
"This is going to have a knock-on effect to the whole area of universal health insurance".
"So we're saying at this stage the Minister has been deluding himself for the last number of years, he's been misleading us in terms of free GP care and he's discredited himself and I think it's time for him to go" he added.
While the former Junior Health Minister Roisin Shortall also said it was time for James Reilly to go.
Deputy Shortall says the health service needs urgent reform and cannot be allowed to continue operating in its current 'chaotic' state. "I believe he should - I would certainly question his commitment to the kind of reforms that are set out in the Programme for Govenrment - and we've seen very little evidence of any progress in that area at all" she said.
"The health service is critical to most people's lives, we cannot afford for it to continue in the kind of chaotic state that it's in at the moment" she added.
But the Taoiseach is adamant that free GP care for all will be delivered. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin quizzed him in the Dáil.
