The Oireachtas committee looking at the future of healthcare is set to recommend free GP care for everyone within five years.

In a draft report, the committee also calls for legislation to ensure people would wait no longer than 12 weeks for operations.

This is an attempt by the Dáil to set in stone a ten-year plan for healthcare that would survive multiple changes of government.

In a draft report seen by RTÉ News it is calling for a unit to be set up in the Taoiseach's office by July to begin work on the radical recommendations.

They include legislation by spring next year that would guarantee hospital waiting times for operations of no longer than 12 weeks.

Maximum waiting times in emergency departments would ultimately be cut to four hours.

Failure by hospitals to reach these targets would result in fines.

Free GP care for all, an end to public hospital charges, and lower prescription charges would be provided too.

The committee is proposing that a tax subsidy for health insurance would be phased out and the money used to fund the new system.

Already some argue this would inevitably lead to a hike in insurance premiums, but this draft report says the changes would reduce the need for health insurance.

Overall the committee says the new "single tier" system would require up to €5 billion extra in health spending in the next six years.

All this would come from a new National Health Fund which would be made up of general taxation and other levies and taxes earmarked by the Government for health services.