The Government has been strongly criticised following reports today that it had effectively scrapped its plan to extend free GP care to the entire population by 2015.

It had been planned to begin the phasing in of this scheme this year by granting free GP care to long-term illness scheme patients, but this is now unlikely to happen.

The Department of Health, in a statement this afternoon, effectively confirmed today's media reports that the phased free GP care plan had been put in cold storage. However, it said the Government was still committed to introducing universal GP care on a phased basis.

Fianna Fáil Health Spokesperson Billy Kelleher TD said the news that another key Government commitment in the area of health was being abandoned was 'yet another reminder of the abject failure of James Reilly's leadership'.

"The two key pillars of the Government's plan for the health service are universal health insurance and free GP care for All. Over the course of the last few weeks, it has become clear that both policies are collapsing."

Mr Kelleher said the apparent collapse of the free GP care plan called into question James Reilly's continued tenure of the health portfolio.

"Now that the Government's health policy is in tatters, the question again arises, what does James Reilly have to do for the Taoiseach to accept what the rest of his Cabinet privately acknowledges and the rest of the country has understood for a long time - that James Reilly is the wrong person to be in charge of one of the country's most important departments?"

Meanwhile, the doctors' union, the IMO, strongly criticised the Government for the mishandling of its efforts to extend GP cards to patients with long-term illnesses.

Dr Ray Walley, Chairman of the GP Committee of the IMO, said that the Government had wasted two years trying to achieve an impossible objective while ignoring a growing crisis in chronic illness patient care and GP services.

Dr Walley said that the IMO had warned the Government that there would be huge problems trying to extend free GP card coverage on the basis of health rather than income.

"What patients with long-term illnesses, such as diabetes, actually want and need is greater, structured resources at GP level to help them in the management of their chronic illnesses."

Dr Walley denied that GPs had obstructed the plans to extend free care.

"GPs did not stop this project; rather, the Government made the mistake of trying to implement a solution that would look good rather than one that would make a meaningful difference to patients with long-term illnesses."

The Department of Health said it was still planned to introduce free GP care within its first term of office.

It said in relation to media reports about the long-fingering of the scheme, 'no decision has been taken by Government on changing the first step of the plan to extend GP care without fees to persons with long-term illnesses.'

However, the Department admitted that the legislation needed to phase in free GP care had 'proven more complex to complete than anticipated.'

It said the Cabinet Committee on health has authorised Junior Health Minister Alex White to set out a number of alternative options with regard to the phased implementation of GP care without fees.

Minister White, along with his senior Minister James Reilly, is to report back to the Committee on the issue before the summer break.

Free GP care plan scrapped

Health reform plan coming off the rails