Medical card fiasco - Government that is out of touch

FLOUNDERING in a crisis of its own making, and having lost one TD, the Government risks losing the support of an independent deputy and is facing revolt among grassroots members of Fianna Fáil, a party whose leadership seem increasingly out of touch with public opinion.

The Taoiseach’s belated promise to modify and adapt the controversial medical card proposal in a “fair and comprehensive way” is to be welcomed. But it is unlikely to assuage the fears of elderly people, especially as Mr Cowen is insistent that because of the economic difficulties the principle of means testing medical cards will remain.

A worrying aspect of this controversy is that the Taoiseach, whose performance to date has been far from impressive, seems to lack the popular touch. If the Government foresaw the medical card decision would cause such problems, it was inept to blunder into such a crisis amid justified accusations of mugging the elderly.