Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

Before the day is out, a clear statement should be made outlining the position on medical cards for old people. There is a palpable fear among old people who are terrified by the prospect of being means tested and incurring additional expense as a result of the Government's faux pas on the medical card scheme in the budget. The Leader should convey that message to the Minister.

It is difficult in the case of those aged 75 years and over to establish where illness begins and ends and what constitutes an illness which would necessitate a medial card. There is also major confusion as regards means testing. For example, the figures cited by Senator Boyle on means testing do not correspond with figures provided by the Health Service Executive.

Senators Callely and Feeney suggested the Opposition is engaging in scare tactics or dirty politics on this issue. We are doing no more than fulfilling our role which is to seek clarification and improve and parse budget announcements and legislation. The suggestion that we are doing the contrary stems from confusion and a realisation that the proposal is a mess. The Senators are trying to get out of the mess.

Will the Leader raise with the Minister for Finance the need to make a clear statement by lunchtime clearly identifying those who will not be subject to a means test for a medical card? This information should be available in time for the evening news broadcasts. People on non-contributory old age pensions should not be means tested as it would be ludicrous to subject anyone who qualifies for an old age pension to a further means test. As Senator Leyden stated, this is a farcical proposition and a waste of public funds as the means test would cost more than the outcome.

The Leader is a compassionate, sensible businessman. I ask him to devise a solution which will provide clarity by this evening. We are all receiving telephone calls from people who are in real fear. Yesterday evening, for example, I received a call from a bachelor who cares for his mother. Senator Wilson knows the man well. He is fearful about his mother because she was anxious all day yesterday. This is an horrendous state of affairs. The issue must be clarified by this evening.