Health Minister Leo Varadkar says the door is still open to GPs in South Tipperary who have not signed up to the under-6s GP care scheme, but the contract is not open to negotiation.

Some 79,000 children have registered for the new service and more than 84% of GPs have signed up to offer it.

However, in South Tipperary just 19% of GPs support the contract.

Mr Varadkar told Newstalk Breakfast they can still sign up to the scheme - but their request for changes to the contract will not be accepted.

It comes as Mr Varadkar says the health service needs up to €1bn more in funding just to meet existing levels of demand.

Writing in the Irish Times, Mr Varadkar also acknowledges even more money will be needed in future to cope with an ageing and growing Irish population.

He believes 'major organisational changes' are required in the system, but points out that even if is is well organised an 'underfunded service will be a poor one'.

Mr Varadkar says that having "adequate well-trained staff, sufficient capacity and infrastructure" is what really matters.

"Questions remain, such as whether we are willing as a society to pay for it, and whether we are willing to embrace the major organisational changes required", he writes.

"This will require courage and trust, but I am confident that with the right vision we can succeed."

He adds that universal healthcare will not work "unless we are willing to find the resources needed to make it work."

He also told Newstalk Breakfast some areas need more specialists.