The opposition spokesperson on health says it is “extraordinary” that the former Minister for Health continued with plans to abolish the HSE despite being told they were “unworkable” and should be dropped.

Reports today claim that civil servants in James Reilly's own department were critical of the decision.

Fianna Fáil's Billy Kelleher says it suggests the coalition's health policy is now in tatters: "It's extraordinary that we had a situation where the Government, for the last three and a half years, was pursuing a health policy agenda that was unworkable.

"And they were made aware of this by the department itself, which is responsible … for implementing the policy."