Health The Irish Medical Organisation has criticised the Government for failing to identify and allocate funds in the Budget to the National Health Strategy, the Primary Care Strategy and other health service reform recommendations.

Dr Joe Barry, president of the IMO, said the commitment to implement the health service reforms had to be questioned when no ringfenced funding had ever been allocated.

Dr Barry also expressed disappointment at the announcement by the Minister for Finance that the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes would be increased by only 25 cents. "Respiratory disease cost the Irish health service €316.8 million in 2001. International research shows that price is a major factor in assisting smokers to quit and more especially encouraging young people not to start smoking. It is a lost opportunity," he said.

Dr Barry said the failure to raise excise tax on alcohol products was even more disappointing.

"This was an opportunity to address our alcohol problem, relieve pressure on the health service and raise revenue. The modest rises in excise duty in the last two budgets had a positive effect on lowering consumption patterns and it is a pity that Minister McCreevy bottled it on this occasion."

The IMO vice-president, Dr James Reilly, questioned the Government's commitment given in the National Health Strategy regarding the number of people entitled to hold a medical card.

Under the 2001 National Health Strategy, the Government said significant improvement would be made to the income guidelines in order to increase the number of persons on low incomes who were eligible for a medical card.

Dr Reilly said the percentage of the population covered by medical cards fell from 37.52 per cent in 1988 to 29.84 per cent in 2002.