The Independent TD Michael Lowry voted with the Government tonight after the Dáil divided on the Fine Gael motion on the over 70s medical card controversy.
Following the major climb-down the issue yesterday morning, the Fianna Fáil-led coalition was seen as having done enough to secure the support of Mr Lowry and the other independent TD who supports the Government, Jackie Healy-Rae.
Both had demanded a substantial increase in eligibility thresholds for medical cards in return for their support.
In a statement issued this evening, Mr Lowry said he had received assurances from the Government that the increased thresholds for the medical card would be reviewed annually to take the cost of living into account.
"I believe that I, as an independent, have a vitally important role in ensuring that the promises made over the past week are going to be delivered on. I will remain within the government framework to ensure that pensioners and other vulnerable and underprivileged members of our society are safeguarded and protected going forward," he said.
The position of the other coalition partners, the Greens and the PDs, was never in doubt. Green Party deputy leader Mary White told a local radio station yesterday that the party would have pulled out of Government if there was not a change. A spokesman later clarified that the Greens had never mentioned the possibility of pulling out of Government in the course of discussions with Fianna Fail on the issue.
The Government defeated the Fine Gael motion with seven votes to spare. It had to face a second day of mass protests by older people on the medical card issue. Thousands gathered outside the gates of Leinster House to protest. When the junior minister for older people Maire Hoctor attempted to adress the crowd, they drowned her out with boos and jeers.
Similarly, Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe fared no better and also abandoned his attempt to address the crowd.
Several TDs within the Leinster House campus said they were surprised at the intensity of the protests, especially given the major climb-down by the Government on the issue.
One backbench TD said that the atmosphere was strange and harked back to the darker days of the 1980s. In the afternoon, some 10,000 students also marched to Leinster House protesting about the increase in registration fees.
"Two TDs have turned away in the past few days. It makes you nervous about this Government surviving a full term," said the backbench deputy.
Both Fine Gael and Labour stepped up campaigns today designed to apply further pressue on the Government's Budget-day decisions. Fine Gael moved on the education issue, demanding that the Government reverse cut-backs in education that will result in increased class sizes.
The Labour Party honed in on what it said was weaknesses in the medical card proposals, saying that the Government would have to draft legislation in order to secure medical cards from over 70s who will no longer be eligible.
The vote on the Fine Gael private motion is expected at 8.30pm tonight. The Government majority has been cut from 12 to eight as a result of the two defections in the past week.
The Government will come under further pressure after the Bank Holiday weekend when the Dáil debates a motion tabled by Labour condemning cutback in education.
