In October 2015, we agreed a budget that included €10 million to fund the extension of free general practitioner care to all children under 12 years of age. The programme for Government extended that commitment to all children under 18 years. Last October, a full year after we budgeted for those under 12 years, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, confirmed that negotiations had not even begun on the issue. Extending free GP care to all those under 18 years will require further legislation, although there is no mention of that in the published programme.

Will the Minister indicate when we will see the legislation to provide for the extension of free GP care to all under 18 years, as set out in the programme for Government? When will the commitment, made in October 2015, to provide GP care to all children under 12 years be fulfilled?

It is not on the list as I understand it. The main legislation in this area is the immediate and urgent extension of medical card cover to children who have domiciliary care allowance. That legislation is being urgently prepared.

I did not ask the Minister about that.

It reflects-----

Is the free GP care being abandoned by Government?

No, by no means. It is clear from the programme for Government that we wish to continue the-----

It is not in the legislative programme.

-----extension of primary care. I believe the approach of the Minister is to see a greater level of service being delivered within the primary care system. As the Deputy knows, that includes the construction of primary care centres and also the gradual extension-----

That is not what I asked.

-----of primary care cover. The legislation is not on the list but it is obviously intended as a longer-term commitment of this Government.