Questions are being raised about the government promise to provide free GP care to under-6s and over-70s.

Yesterday Health Minister Leo Varadkar published a list of 25 priorities for the health service in 2015.

He said that by mid-year, waiting times for procedures will be no longer than 18 months.

This is set to reduce by a further three months by December.

He has also pledged to reduce the number of patients on trolleys in emergency departments, waiting for admission for over nine hours, by one-third to less than 70.

The health priorities also include a plan to bring forward legislation on the roll out of universal GP care.

That is despite Mr Varadkar saying the plans were 'too ambitious' when he first took office.

Fianna Fail spokesperson for health, Billy Kelleher, says this programme should be in place already.