Fianna Fail councillors from across the country met yesterday in Ballinasloe to debate the ongoing controversy surrounding the changes to medical cards that came with last week’s budget.
The emergency meeting, which began at 3pm at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe, was organised by the Fianna Fail Councillor’s Forum because of growing concern over the public reaction to the new plan for over 70s medical cards. Last week’s budget announced that the automatic entitlement to a medical card for those over 70 years was being abolished and a means test is being re-introduced. The announcement led to widespread protests from senior citizens, and their families, across the country.
It is expected that the group will meet Minister of Finance Brian Lenihan on Tuesday to discuss the issues raised at today’s meeting.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week radio programme prior to yesterday’s meeting, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said: “The present proposal as we enunciated it clearly is not ultimately the proposal that will be decided upon because it does not merit or have the wider public acceptance that it would need to have and I'm addressing those concerns and I think that those that have concerns can be assured of that.”
The Taoiseach, who delayed a trip to China to deal with the row, said that the government never intended to introduce the new plan before January 1 and therefore had time to attempt to come to “a creative solution”.
He said that the automatic entitlement scheme, which was introduced in 2001, has escalated considerably in terms of cost for the government.
At the time of going to print the meeting was still ongoing.
