Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I support fully what has been stated by my colleague, Deputy Jack Wall, and our spokesperson on health and children, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. This is a new low for the Government. I would not have expected anything different from the Progressive Democrats but I would have expected that Fianna Fáil would have had more compassion for senior citizens who have supported them through the years. I would have thought that the Green Party, with all of its rhetoric, would have been able to put forward a better case in this issue.

One of the most powerful sights in 2008 was the sight of 15,000 senior citizens protesting outside the Dáil in October following publication of the budget which proposed to do away with medical cards for those with an income of €201 per week. The universal right to a medical card from the age of 70 was being abolished. It was an appalling decision. I compliment the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament for the efficient and effective manner in which it mobilised so many senior citizens throughout the country.

Under massive public protest the Government has done a partial U-turn and today we have the Health Bill to introduce the new scheme to abolish the automatic right to the medical card and to establish new income limits for those aged over 70. This is the Government's Christmas present to tens of thousands of senior citizens. Scrooge would be delighted. The comfort and security of universal health protection for all those aged over 70 has been abolished in one fell swoop.

On 1 January 2009 those senior citizens who reach their 70th birthday will worry not that they may earn too little in the future but that they may earn too much. This is the appalling vista which faces them. The cut-off point is €700 per week or approximately €36,000 per annum and this is subject to annual review by the Minister for Health and Children to reflect increases in the consumer price index. It seems that once over the limit always over the limit.

The Government's justification for introducing means testing was that it did not want billionaires or multi-millionaires such as Tony O'Reilly and Michael Smurfit getting a medical card for free. This was outrageous as none of them was likely to apply for it as they would have private insurance. This was a useless argument which had no bearing on the matter whatsoever.

Teachers, nurses, gardaí, middle grade civil servants and various professionals will fall into the Minister's net. Effectively, middle Ireland, which has paid its taxes all along, will again bear the brunt of the Government's cutbacks. Having never received a tax break during their working lives, middle income earners will be denied any crumb of security during the vulnerable years of their old age. For example, the pension of a retired teacher, which will reflect promotions, degree qualifications, supervision duties, long-term increments and other special duties, will likely exceed the threshold of €36,000. Income from saving funds or retirement gratuities, where the principal exceeds €36,000, will also be included in the pot of money on which a person's eligibility is assessed. Retired teachers have no social welfare pension and, therefore, no entitlement to excess in regard to dental, optical or aural cover.

To compound the situation, VHI charges are becoming increasingly expensive and out of reach for many people. We are not talking about the super rich. Those who will be most affected by these changes are the solid, industrious people who maintained this country through thick and thin, reared their children and put them through college prior to the introduction by the Labour Party of universal free third level education in 1996. These people, representing the backbone of the State, always gave and never received anything for free throughout their working lives. Nor will they receive anything now, when they are most in need of assistance. Instead, their expectation of a medical card to comfort and reassure them in their old age is dashed.

The Scrooge Minister who has overseen the ruination of the health service for the last four years is now determined to ensure that the golden years of as many people as possible are made miserable. The decision to base the means testing of medical cards on net rather then gross income, as was previously the case, is the thin end of the wedge which will scoop many more people into the threshold net. The Minister has stated that 95% of the age cohort, or approximately 20,000 people, will be excluded. I do not accept that for a minute. The devious way the legislation is formulated means the number will greatly exceed that estimation and may well be a multiple of it.

I ask the Minister to exempt senior citizens over the age of 80 from the provisions of the Bill. Many such persons are paying their own way in private nursing homes but are, fortunately, in receipt of a medical card. When this legislation goes through, they will find themselves without a medical card and with additional bills to pay on top of the nursing home charges. This anomaly will cause serious problems for many people.

The issue of access to services has not been sufficiently highlighted. For example, nurses and physiotherapists can be difficult to source in the private sector. Private sector providers have concentrated on certain areas where they can expect a good return. This will cause people great difficulty in accessing such services. This is a sad day for the State. It is certainly a sad day for the Government. The Labour Party will oppose this Bill at every opportunity.

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