Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister believes this is just a technical amendment. We stated at the outset that we accept it is a technical amendment but it is a technical amendment to the fundamental part of the Bill. That is the reason we are opposing it, and we have no other way of opposing it. I have said already that this is legislating for a U-turn of massive proportions and I need to find a mechanism with which to oppose the section that reduces eligibility for people over 70. Technical or not, it is a fundamental part of this Bill.

I cannot accept the Minister's explanation that it affects only one in ten people over 70. One in ten is a substantial number of people. UB40 had a song in the 1980s, "One in Ten", which was an iconic song for many young people who were unemployed at that time. One in ten persons over 70 are back to a situation where they will now lose their medical card and as I said previously, to be consistent on that side of the House-----

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