The SVP opposes the removal of these cards for a number of reasons:

• The removal, and more particularly the manner of its removal, is as ill considered as the shambles around the introduction of the card was in 2001 and will cause considerable worry to people at the latter stages of their life – this is cruel.
• The Government says that it wishes to save €100 million by this step – of which €85 million goes to doctors – if so then tackle the doctor payment (€462 per year per person)  - not sick older people by now making them pay for Government’s past mistake.
• Many older people discontinued their VHI when they got a card – now will not be able to re-apply – will cause hardship and understandable worry – this is not fair.   
• The provision of the GP card is a con job, because older people as a rule pay more for drugs compared to GP visits – and they often have to do this over many years.
• Up to 70,000 older people now face the prospect of having to find an additional €100 per month out of their pensions to spend on drugs before the Drugs Refund Threshold kicks in – so much for protecting the vulnerable.
• There is utter confusion around the eligibility criteria that will apply to over 70’s  - appears to be based on the following NET income figures (after tax, PRSI and other allowable deductions) single person living alone =  €201.5 per week;- single person with family = €173.5; couple = €298 per week -  If a person has an total pension income in excess of about €650 per week they will get nothing.
• The issue is not as the Tanaiste states about the removal of medical cards from retired High Court judges, Consultants, Ministers of State and higher civil servants – but rather its removal  from court clerks, hospital orderlies, Dail ushers and clerical officers, many of whom do not even qualify for the normal state pension but have to scrape by on very low occupational pensions. To weed out the really high earners is a simple matter – just raise the eligibility threshold to just below their pension rates, which at the very minimum amount to about €70,000 per year.

For further information, please contact:

Professor John Monaghan (SVP Vice-President) – tel. 086 8302246