TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has strongly defended the Government's decision to withdraw the automatic entitlement for medical cards for over-70s, accusing Opposition politicians of making exaggerated claims and spreading "fear" on the issue.
"I heard the leader of the Opposition say 90 per cent of pensioners won't get their medical cards; that is totally incorrect," Mr Cowen said on the fringes of the EU summit in Brussels.
"People whose sole source of income is an old-age pension are entitled to their medical card and keep their medical card. We have made it clear . . . that . . . two out of three people who presently have cards who are over 70 will retain their cards.
"I think it is important that this be allowed to be considered properly and appropriately. That is an important point to make.
"Two-thirds of the people will remain automatically entitled to the card. The rest of the people will be assessed, 15,000 of whom we expect to be entitled to the card under the new set of circumstances."
He continued: "We would point out that down the years the administrations that we have been members of have, quite rightly, greatly improved facilities and the provision of services to our elderly. There is a whole range of areas in terms of income tax measures. This decision has been taken because there is a need to ensure we can provide sustainable services going forward.
"If there are politicians that want to make exaggerated claims, which have no basis in fact, let them take the responsibility for the fears and concerns that some people are feeling, because they are not reflecting properly what the situation is."
Asked whether he would consider reversing the decision, Mr Cowen said: "It is important to point out the Irish public finances are such that difficult choices have to be made.
"There were more unpalatable choices on the table in terms of being able to maintain home care packages [and the] provision of home help services.
"What impact would it have on acute services if we sought this €100 million saving [from] accident and emergency?
"It is very important that the public understand the context in which these and all the other decisions have been taken; and even with those decisions taken, we still have a current budget deficit that has to be eliminated in coming years. [It] is still of sizeable proportions, which means day-to-day expenses will still exceed day-to-day receipts in the coming financial year.
"There is a financial crisis worldwide, it is having its impact; it is bringing about a situation where growth has contracted in our economy this year.
"We had 6 per cent growth in 2007 and we are looking at minus 1.5 per cent growth this year. [It is] very difficult to see prospects of much better next year. Arising out of that [is] the need to take decisions that are necessary to sustain public services at a level that can be provided on an ongoing basis.
"And the point here is that this decision, as with others, had to be taken in the context of the challenge facing the country."