Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I have spoken on this issue previously. The decision by the Government is mean. We teach children when they are young that if they give something to somebody, they should not take it back. Before the 2002 election there was no clamour for a medical card for the over 70s. The Government made a political decision to give it to them. Now, it is taking it back. That is mean. The Government's treatment of the old people in this country is wrong. These are the people who brought the State to where it was before this Government destroyed it over the last number of years.

I ask the Minister and the Department to do something about the thresholds for the medical card. Middle income people are caught badly. I wish to put the thresholds on record for the benefit of the media, who might not understand. If a person under 65 years of age is earning more than €184 per week, they will not qualify for a medical card. A single person on jobseeker's allowance gets €197 per week and almost will not qualify for the medical card. The medical card situation is daft. In the case of a married couple with three children under 16 years of age, the medical card threshold is €383.50. If that couple is on jobseeker's allowance, in other words, the dole, they would get €401.10 and would not qualify for the medical card. The thresholds must be increased. They have not increased for the last number of years. The way we are treating young families is wrong. People who are finding life difficult and people who are working are being squeezed.

What the Minister and the Government did to the over 70s was an attack on the elderly. It was wrong. They must honour the commitment they gave the people of this country. The elderly are waiting for the next election. In the last election they voted for the Government because it gave them the medical card. In the next election they will vote against the Government for withdrawing it. It is wrong to give with one hand and take back with the other. The Minister has made a bad mistake on this issue. I hope the Independents and Deputy Joe Behan will vote with us today to save the medical card for the over 70s.

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