Cowen To Hold Press Conference On Medical Card Fiasco

The Taoiseach will be trying to quell the anger caused by the medical card controversy in a press conference on Tuesday morning.

Brian Cowen is expected to make a major statement on the policy, which would remove the automatic availability of medical cards to the over 70s, and will be joined by the policy's architect Mary Harney and the Environment minister John Gormley.

Mr Cowen had postponed a trade mission to China for the past two days in order to find a solution to the debacle, which has faced huge opposition from members of the Daíl and the public alike.

So far, a number of Independent TDs have removed their support from the government over the issue, with the latest, Finian McGrath, withdrawing his support late on Monday night.

Mr McGrath joins Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy-Rae in their opposition to the policy, with Mr Healy-Rae said the introduction of a means test was striking fear into elderly people in South Kerry, concerned at losing a range of entitlements.

"What the means test means to the old people here is they feel their pension is being taken away. The words 'means test' is worse than strychnine. I was totally opposed to a means test," he said.

Speculation was also in circulation that Mary Harney herself had threatened to resign over the repercussions caused by her own policy, in order to save some face for the party.

The press conference comes on the heels of a last minute meeting with the Irish Medical Association on Monday, which led to its own controversy, as the Competition Authority pointed out that any negotiations between government on GP fees would be in breach of competition law.

According to reports, the government had originally planned to seek reductions in the charges levied by Doctors who treat patients using the card.

(DW)