Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

As I said on closing the Second Stage debate, the financial sustainability of the automatic entitlement to a medical card on reaching the age of 70 is not possible. I said that the general medical card numbers are increasing by approximately 3% per annum and for the over 70s the numbers are increasing by approximately 7% per annum. Given that a couple, both of whom are in their late 60s, must be earning less than €298 in order to obtain a medical card, I do not believe it is unreasonable in the case of over 70s to have gross income limits of €700 in the case of a single person and €1,400 in the case of a couple. Therefore, I want to maintain the interpretation section which is fundamental to any legislation to make it clear what the Bill is about.

See this speech in context