The Minister for Health has admitted there will always be problems with Ireland's health service.

But he's insisted that Fine Gael has made "enormous" progress in reforming the service - and that Fianna Fáil or Sinn Fein can't do so.

He says the health service can only be improved if the economy raises enough money to allow for extra spending.

He's told the Fine Gael Ard Fheis that other parties won't be able to back up their promises with action:

Fianna Fáil were quick to hit back at the Minister.

The party's Vice President Timmy Dooley claimed it was "difficult to take Minister Leo Varadkar’s lectures on health seriously given the state of chaos in Emergency Departments across the country".

The party's accusing the minister of employing a "spin before substance" approach to the health system.