Primary Care Minister Alex White has repeated his call for 'talks about talks' with the Irish Medical Organisation on the controversial plans for the provision of free GP care for all children under six.

The Minister, addressing an angry audience of around 350 GPs at the IMO AGM in Co. Kildare today, said it was intended have the legislation on the new scheme enacted by July.

GPs at the meeting expressed anger at what they believe is an unworkable and restrictive draft contract on the scheme, and at recently published legislation which they say copperfastens the Minister for Health's right to set GP fees and to cut them further.

Minister White, however,told the meeting it was highly unlikely that the fees of GPs or other State workers would be cut any further under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation.

IMO GP Chairman Dr Ray Walley told the meeting that GP income had already been cut by 38% in recent years while income elsewhere in the public sector had bene cut by around 18%.

GPs at the meeting said they do not have the resources to take on extra under sixes patients.

GPs are also angry at provisions in the legislation which mean that doctors who do not sign up to the new deal stand to lose their existing under sixes medical card patients, a move that GPs have warned could cause chaos for patients.

The IMO is insisting that it should have the right to directly negotiate fees for the new scheme with the Government, which say this is technically not possible under competition law. The legtislation states that while consultations can be undertaken on fees, the Minister ultimately must set fees.

Minister White, however, indicated that there may be room for flexibility on how the fees issue could be addressed. He told the meeting that negotiating restrictions under competition law 'should not be overplayed'.

He proposed that talks should take plac ewith the IMO on how the two sifdes can engage on the under sixes scheme and what the agenda for talks should be.

During the debate, GPs claimed that the Government was using money saved through taking medical cards off sick and vulnerable peopel to fund a scheme which would treat the chidlren of well-off people free of charge.

Minister White denied that this was the case.