The Fine Gael leader said no detail had been given around the Fianna Fáil plan and said he would be opposed to it.

The implementation of safe zones will mean that protestors must keep a distance of 100 metres.

Over 25 per cent of GPs are aged over 60 years, so this issue is going to become more prevalent in rural communities, he warned.

GP associations have called for urgent action on the funding and development of undergraduate General Practice placements to help address the ongoing GP workforce crisis

Dr Brendan O'Shea says General Practice "is a very small part of the overall health system in terms of cost, but it’s a big player in terms of impact"

A spokesperson for the Irish College of General Practitioners has advised parents to watch out for possible signs of Strep A infection as children’s immune systems have become more prone to infections following Covid lockdowns.

“It would be selfish to go out”, Dr Denis McCauley said