Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I refer to the medical cards for the over 70s. The doctors and the Irish Medical Organisation destroyed the case for them with the charges they imposed. They called them the golden medical cards and, by God, they made gold out of them. Few people need to have fears in this regard. I have checked the means test for the medical card and I am quite confident most people who now qualify will continue to qualify for it. The problem was new people coming into the scheme. It was costing too much money and the State could not afford it, so it will be means-tested. The means test has not been revised since 2006, so will the Minister increase it to take into account the current difficulties?

I call for a non-resident tax on those who have made millions and billions out of this State and who allegedly do not live here but who appear often enough in the newspapers. They should pay a special tax. I also call for a tribunal tax on those who made fortunes out of the tribunals. It should be a tax of at least 25% on the ill-gotten gains from attendance at these tribunals.