The Minister for Health has again defended the Government's record on the distribution of medical cards. Micheal Martin said that the significant rise in employment is the only reason that the number of people qualifying for cards has fallen.
Speaking during question time, Minister Martin said that 31.07% of the population were eligible for medical cards in October. This figure compared with 29.87% at the beginning of the year and 36.04% in 1994.
Liz McManus, Labour Party Health Spokesperson said that these figures provided an eloquent argument for the inclusion of more people in the medical card scheme.
However, the Minister said that 300,000 extra people have taken up work since this Government came to office. He also said that the Government has made a commitment to extend the medical card scheme to people over the age of 70. He said that this had been a good decision, particularly as many people suffer a fall in income as they get older.
This comes in the wake of last night's Government defeat of a Labour motion in the Dáil which called for a widening of the eligibility for medical cards.
The Opposition had combined in the debate to condemn Coalition health policy, claiming it was penalising the less well-off.
It was aimed at highlighting what Labour called the Government's failure to extend the medical card system and to embarrass the independents who support the Coalition.
