The Minister for Health and Children, Ms Harney, vowed today to proceed with the roll-out of doctor-only medical cards despite a dispute with doctors.
Ms Harney also said that the controversial Hanly Report into reform of local hospitals was still on the agenda despite claims it was being shelved.
Minister for Health and Children, Ms Harney, said she will proceed with the roll-out of doctor-only medical cards.
The Minister is appearing before the Joint Committee on Health and Children for the first time since she took up the post 100 days ago.
She insisted that talks were not needed with family doctors before 200,000 doctor-only medical cards are rolled out in early April.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said it had an agreement with the Minister that it would be consulted would take place. But Ms Harney said: "I am satisfied that the cards are not in breach of any guidelines with the IMO."
Responding to questions from Labour's Ms Liz McManus, Ms Harney insisted: "Health reform is not off the agenda. The Hanly Report is not dead."
The Hanly Report caused a storm of protest in rural towns after it threatened accident and emergency services at smaller hospitals.
At a sometimes tense meeting, Ms Harney reiterated that the firm focus of the health service during her tenure would be on patients. "If people have to wait overnight on hospital trolleys to get treated, then we will not have been successful."
Fine Gael's health spokesman, Mr Liam Twomey, said the Minister had produced a plan that had more to do with "spin doctors" than with putting real doctors and nurses on the frontline to treat patients.
Mr Twomey said that in an answer to a written Dáil question from the Fine Gael leader this week, Ms Harney had been unable to give a target date for completion or expected results from even one of the 10 points in her plan.
"The Tánaiste's plan comprises of ten action points and a spend of €70 million but she has produced no concrete details on how this will impact on the ongoing A&E crisis," Mr Twomey said.
"In addition, there was no breakdown for how the money would be allocated across the 10 points, no indication of which hospitals would benefit from the additional nursing beds, no indication where out-of-hour GP services would be provided and no specific targets to reduce A&E waiting times or overcrowding."
At the committee meeting Dr Twomey challenged the Tánaiste to set out specific allocations, target dates and outcomes she intends to achieve with the €70 million.