Cowen insists on retaining means test

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen insisted he is sticking to plans to means test over-70s for the medical card despite growing opposition to the move from inside and outside the Government.

Mr Cowen was adamant yesterday that the medical card scheme “will be means tested” but said changes will be made to the current proposals in an effort to address the growing level of public concern.

Mr Cowen was due to fly to China last night but postponed the State visit until Tuesday evening to work on a solution which he said “will address the concerns of people and still find the savings that are necessary”.

Mr Cowen denied that the future stability of the Government is threatened by the medical card plans, with independent deputies who support the Government threatening to vote against it.

“I intend proceeding with the Government, working to the greatest extent possible with the Government for as long as their term can last,” he said, adding that this will be at least four more years.

“This is a difficult job, but it’s a job that has to be done,” he said in an interview with RTÉ radio.

In what some backbenchers saw as a effort to address their concerns, Mr Cowen said: “The present proposal, as announced, will not be the one that will finally be decided on and will not be the one that will go ahead. But we have to find a solution to it at the same time.”

He said whatever solution is found, the scheme will be means tested: “It was always a means-tested scheme up until 2001. In the good times we were able to change that. But this scheme is not sustainable in the present format,” he said.

There are 355,000 people over 70 in Ireland who will get a medical card up until January. Under proposals in Budget 2009, 140,000 of these will have to fill out forms for a means test.

Of these, 15,000 are expected to keep their cards, 70,000 will be entitled to the Health Support Payment of €400. It’s estimated that 20,000 will be left with nothing under the budget plans.

He said savings might also have to be found in other areas of health spending in order to provide for medical card entitlements.

The Taoiseach also asked for “time and space” to find solutions to the problem “in view of the fact that there is no change for any pensioner at all until the first of January in respect of their entitlements”.

He added: “We have to be prepared to discharge our duties as a Government, even if in the short term it doesn’t make us the most popular.”