Combative exchanges over medical card means testing

THE CONSTRUCTION Industry Federation (CIF) is the only group to support the Budget, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said as he challenged Taoiseach Brian Cowen to move the writ for the Dublin South byelection to test acceptance of the Budget.

There were extremely combative exchanges in the Dáil, particularly over the means testing of medical cards for the over 70s.

Mr Cowen said because of the economic situation it was not possible to provide universal entitlement but "only 6 per cent of those who have a card now will not be entitled to either a GP card, a medical card or the grant payment for their medical expenses".

Minister for Health Mary Harney said all over-70s would be assessed by the end of the year and that nobody over 70 would be liable to the 2 per cent health levy.

Mr Gilmore asked Mr Cowen which of the "30 treacherous cuts" he was most embarrassed by.

Mr Cowen said it was not a question of being embarrassed but of necessary measures to provide sustainable public finance; he asked what the Opposition would cut in public expenditure worth €2.2 billion if they would not allow "revenue raising" provisions.

The Labour leader said there were elderly with health insurance who gave it up when they got medical cards. "The Government is now taking the medical card off them and leaving them marooned."

Mr Gilmore said the VHI told him that a pensioner who gave up insurance "will have to wait 10 years for cover for a pre-existing condition and two years for cover for a new condition".

Mr Cowen said the "VHI does not cover GP services and the medical card does cover those services".

When Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly said "health cuts hurt the old, the sick and the disabled. Where have we heard that before?", Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern shouted at him "you're a hypocrite". The Taoiseach had to urge his Ministers to be quiet.

Mr Cowen said that when Dr Reilly was chairman of the IMO's GP committee, he condemned the Government's decision to offer medical cards to all over 70.

Olivia Mitchell (FG) said that "the Government made a bad deal with the doctors and is expecting people to pay".