Liam Twomey (Fine Gael)

There has been no acknowledgment by the Ministers, or anyone in the Cabinet, of the people who are responsible for getting us into this mess, and who have effectively destroyed our public finances over the last number of years. This morning the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, was so out of touch she thought that the only people who would be affected by the withdrawal of the over-70s medical card would be GPs. It is true that GPs will see a loss of income; however they will not be as affected by the withdrawal of the over-70s medical card as greatly as the patients. It shows how little regard the Minister has for people over 70, and the lack of understanding she has of her own Department, when medical cards are withdrawn in that manner.

If one does not have a medical card, there is no entitlement to services from the HSE. There is no entitlement to a home care package or to a public health nurse to come and change dressings. Also, one has to pay in-patient charges in hospital and other in-service charges for long-term care as well. The patients who will lose their medical cards will be extremely put out by what the Minister has done. To try and laugh it off by saying only the GPs are affected shows her arrogance and ignorance towards the patients who will be affected.

The Minister is making it up as she goes along. She stated that between 5% and 6% of people will be affected by this move because of the other conditions she has brought in. The Government could not work out how many people would receive an over-70s medical card seven years ago. The Minister can put her hand on her heart today and tell us how much income and how many assets people over 70 have, to the point that only 5% or 6% of people will be affected. She has no notion how many people will be affected, and she should admit that. This is what happens when one is in power too long.

In his Budget Statement the Minister for Finance softened up parents in regard to acting on child benefit next year. I do not know if he will withdraw it or tax it. However, it was strongly indicated that is next in the Government's firing line. Elderly citizens who will hold their €2 increase in their cold hands during the winter will appreciate their call to patriotic duty by the Minister for Finance, who is nicely cushioned in the back of his Mercedes earning more than €4,000 a week. When he eventually retires, he will have a pension of in excess of €3,000 per week. Government Members should not insult every man and woman by pretending they are suffering, as they are not suffering at all. It is a minor inconvenience to them but ordinary people who will pay these additional taxes will suffer greatly in the coming years. Government Members should not try to align themselves with such people because they are too far out of touch to even consider themselves to be in that position.

They are the so-called guardians of the tiger but the reality is they have destroyed our economy and they want ordinary people to pay for it. The 1% income levy is a tax, not a levy, while many of those in double income households will be subject to a 2% tax increase. They are double income households because house prices were driven daft by Government policy and couples had to have two jobs to buy a house. The former Taoiseach said it would be unpatriotic if they did anything else other than pay extravagant prices for their homes. That is why they are in the mess. They are faced with negative equity and they must pay more for petrol and motor tax and increased VAT. However, these charges do not apply to the same fat cat Ministers who are calling us all to our patriotic duty. Their cars are free, they do not pay motor tax nor do they pay for petrol or for the service bills for their Mercedes. They are completely immune to these increases but they call us all to our patriotic duty. According to Ministers and Fianna Fáil, the little people, not anybody else and certainly not them, must answer this call.

How many Ministers will pay the €200 urban car parking space charge?