Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Yesterday, we saw an ungracious climbdown by the Government on the decision to withdraw medical cards from those aged over 70. Reflecting on the way the Government has handled this and the various U-turns it has made, what strikes me and what is most disturbing is the lack of ideology or guiding principles in the Government's decisions. No attempt has been made to protect the elderly, the weak and the vulnerable or to invest in and protect our children. It was quite the opposite in this budget and it highlights the lack of guiding principles behind the Government's decisions in the budget.

There are no guiding principles in the Government. We suspected this all along but it has come into clear relief since the budget. The Government lacks principle and ideology. Over the past two weeks, the Government has been acting like a liquidator, liquidating various assets without thinking about what it wants to protect, keep and value in society. This week, we saw it with the elderly. The concern is who it will be next week. How will the cuts play out? I want the Leader to comment on a number of matters.

I also want to highlight the area of children and education where we see 32 cutbacks will be made. These will hurt and challenge teachers and make it difficult to provide basic frontline teaching services to children. It is also going to affect back to education, literacy and adult educations services. There is a complete lack of ideology in our approach to children in the classroom.

There are several problems regarding yesterday's decision on the elderly and the medical card. It does not restore the principle of universality to free medical care. It does not provide any assurance that the ground rules will not be changed next year. In fact, the Minister for Health and Children has taken it upon herself that she can now change the criteria. She is changing the rule that one can hold on to the medical card for three years. Legislation is to be introduced in this area. When will it be examined in the Seanad? This will create a two-tier, even a four-tier, system for the elderly.

The Government has had little to say on the hassle and burden of means tests. Means tests around the world have proved to be extremely difficult to administer. It has been proven everywhere that the very people who need a service often end up not getting it because of the means test. Fiscal policy would have been much a better way to go.

It is disgraceful that many elderly people have been driven to protest outside the Dáil today. I want it debated today in the Seanad. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that we take No. 24 item 25. If it cannot be taken today, at least we should have some opportunity to discuss in detail what the whole country is talking about and is in every newspaper.