Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

As someone who has campaigned for nursing home care and quality care, I believe I have some standing in this debate. The key difference between what the Government says and what we say is 20,000 people. The Government says that only 5% of those over 70 will not have medical cards, approximately 20,000 people. In effect, that is the number of nursing home beds in the country. It is as if the Government was taking the cards from everybody in those nursing homes only. That is the number it is talking about with regard to this serious issue.

Many of those who will lose their medical card will have held them for seven years or over. They are now 77, 87, 97 or 100 years old. Old people worry disproportionately about these issues. I charge the Minister and the Government with lack of concern and care for these people. We all know that cancer, heart disease and stroke have no respect for age or income. Whether one is a millionaire or a pauper, when cancer visits one's home, family, father or mother, we want care and comfort for that person. The care and comfort medical cards give is unbelievable and that is what brought people onto the streets today. The medical card is the comfort society must give to those most in need, both the very young and the sick and dying. The Government cannot and must not remove these 20,000 cards. That is unacceptable in a modern democracy.

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