Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

Last weekend, on Thomas Street and in Ballyfermot, people queued to sign a petition calling for the reversal of this decision. I have never seen such outrage. Young and old were appalled by the Government's decision to cut back on the medical card. The elderly have paid their taxes, done their duty and contributed to the boom over the past 15 years. This is how Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and Independents repay them. The Government seems to be all over the place at the moment. The euphoria that first greeted the budget has now diminished, leaving the Government back-pedalling. One Independent Deputy declared he has now seen the light. What a pity he had to go to his constituency before he saw that light.

The Minister now wants to confuse everyone further. Thousands of pensioners will soon receive forms from the HSE to establish whether they are entitled to keep their medical cards. This is a useless red tape exercise that will place an unnecessary burden on the elderly, causing them even further stress and confusion. At yesterday's press conference, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, stated that she would rely on the honesty of the majority of our senior citizens to declare their entitlement. Are all senior citizens not to be trusted? I reject her choice of words.

Today, outside the gates of the Dáil, people's actions spoke louder than words. Young and old voiced their anger. The Government must surely realise it has made a huge mistake and must reinstate the medical card. Last night, I attended a meeting in Ballyfermot on the issue, but not one Fianna Fáil representative turned up. The message given to me by the people of Ballyfermot last night was that Ballyfermot will remember that those Deputies did not have the decency to show up; they will not forget it.

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