Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the days leading up to the budget we were told to expect a family-friendly budget, one that would help hard-pressed families. What we have got instead is a litany of cuts and tax increases which, taken with the last two budgets, show a Government which is both lacking in imagination and a basic commitment to fairness. The last two budgets hit those relying on public services hardes. It has been our view all along that the split of taxes and expenditure in this budget should be of the order of 50:50, but the Minister has chosen not to do this. Instead, he has chosen to let those who rely on State services and the Departments of Health, Social Protection and Education and Skills bear the brunt of the expenditure reductions and costs. It is what we call a regressive budget. Again today we see that the Government is allowing the burden of the adjustment fall disproportionately on those who can least afford it, but we do not yet know if we have the full story. As happened last year, I expect that tonight and tomorrow there will be a series of press releases from various Departments highlighting the specific measures and cuts that are not being highlighted this afternoon and that these will be even more painful than what we have heard in the last hour.

There is no doubt that there is one common thread in the budget. It hits the elderly generation extremely hard, with young out-of-work individuals also in the Minister's sights. The Government has in the past called for intergenerational solidarity, but what it has announced today will ensure that cannot happen. I point, in particular, to the issue of medical card eligibility. For the second year running, the Government has shamefully cut the eligibility criteria for elderly people. It is attacking our parents and grandparents - those over 70 years of age. We know from research carried out by the ESRI that medical cards are a progressive anti-poverty measure. They provide an essential safety net in terms of access to GP care, medicines and hospital treatment for low income families and older people who are more likely to have greater health care needs. Despite being a Government that talks about creating a universally accessible health care system, it is actually intent on undermining and eroding access to it, as evidenced by these cuts. There has been a reduction in the number of discretionary medical cards and a fall in the number of families with GP visit cards. We are seeing blatant health care rationing on economic grounds, while clinical and health needs are being ignored. The number of discretionary medical cards has been specifically targeted by the Government. The Minister said there was no policy change, but the practice being implemented on a daily basis by the HSE is somewhat different. People throughout the country have been receiving letters from it advising them of a review of their medical card and many have had their cards withdrawn recently. This process will intensify as a result of the changes announced in this budget. Last year the Government reduced the medical card weekly income limits for those aged over 70 years by €100 for a single person and €200 for a couple. Today, it is reducing the limits by another €100 a week for a single person but by €300 for a couple. What does it have against elderly married people such that the cut is more than double for a couple in a house than for a single person? The Minister is now bringing down the figure to €900; it was €1,400 just two budgets ago. At least 35,000 elderly people will lose their medical cards because of that decision alone.

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