Minister for Children James Reilly has said it is up to each minister to set the pace of Government policy.
He was responding to questions about Minister for Health Leo Varadkar's position on Universal Health Insurance.
Asked if his timeline for UHI had been too ambitious, Mr Reilly said he is absolutely convinced that Universal Health Insurance is the "right thing to do".
The Government published the White Paper on Universal Health Insurance earlier this year, in which it said access to a health service will be based on need, not ability to pay.
The White Paper said that UHI would be funded by tax revenue, co-payments and insurance premiums.
UHI was due to be in place by 2019. However, Mr Varadkar said last month that the 2019 timescale was too ambitious and UHI might take a bit longer than originally planned.
He said he believed it would be in place in the next term if the Government is re-elected.
