Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

Around the same time, Deputy Michael Noonan of Fine Gael said in the Dáil that in these circumstances, he did not think it was justifiable to extend the automatic entitlement of a medical card to all our citizens over 80 without reference to being means tested. He was not even talking about those aged over 70 but those over 80. I have not heard any Labour spokespersons contribute yet, but Opposition Members cannot have it every way. They cannot shout and roar at the Government for extending the medical card scheme, and then shout and roar again when it adjusts it.

Opposition Members are being downright rude and are playing politics with vulnerable people. They were the people who created the confusion two months ago. No one knew what they were entitled to because the Opposition parties did not want them to know that.