More than one in two people are not in favour of the Government introducing free GP care to all children five years old and under, according to our latest online poll.

Health Minister James Reilly recently announced that all children in this age group would be entitled to free GP visits, probably from the middle of next year.

While the plan has been welcomed by some, it has also been criticised on the basis that children from wealthy families will qualify for free GP treatment while some people in need are being denied medical cards.

We asked readers whether they agreed with the plan to introduce free GP care for children five years and under.

Fifty eight per cent said no, while 38% said yes and four per cent were unsure.

Meanwhile, the doctors' union, the IMO, has called on the Government to reassess its priorities in respect of the extension of free GP care.

IMO GP leader Dr Ray Walley has said doctors are reporting that many patients are concerned about the withdrawal of discretionary medical cards held in some cases for years.

He said even patients who don't have medical cards or who are not losing their cards are complaining about callousness of the new approach to discretionary cards.

Dr Walley said the plan to extend cards to under sixes and eventually to the entire population by 2016 while at the same time withdrawing cards from patients who were utterly dependent on them was not justified.

A meeting of IMO GPs at the weekend called for the proper resourcing of general practice, which the IMO says is badly overstretched at present.

View the results of the poll and comments here.