The Tánaiste went on radio last Sunday and told the people that we now had the highest level of medical card cover since 1995. She knew that was untrue and was engaged in deliberate deception of the people.

The words "deliberate deception" are not acceptable in the House.

They are pretty accurate.

The entire case I wish to make is that deliberate deception is not acceptable — that is my entire point. The Tánaiste knows people are measuring it against the expectation of the Government promise that 200,000 additional medical cards would be made available. She knows, by way of answer to a parliamentary question, that 101,000 cards have been taken out of the system since the election. Some 300,000 cards are required to make up the Government's promise. What she has done is provide 10% of that, 30,000 medical cards. There is a net reduction of 70,000 medical cards on the position as at the 2002 general election before we get to the 200,000 promise at all.

The Tánaiste has provided "yellow pack" cards which are for doctor visits only. The services normally associated with a medical card are not available to people who will get the "yellow pack" card. For people in destitution and in terrible, difficult circumstances, it may be welcome but it is not a medical card and the Tánaiste is not entitled to mislead people into believing she has provided a medical card.

Will the Tánaiste set the record straight? Parents, who are fearful that they will not be able to afford to bring their child to the doctor, think that when they get medical advice from the doctor, the associated services will be available on the card. That will not happen because these are not medical cards as we know them. This is a device which the Tánaiste's spin doctors have come up with to make believe that she is meeting the commitment made by her predecessor and reiterated so many times, that is, that an additional 200,000 full, proper medical cards with an entitlement to the entire range of services will be provided to people who so badly need them, which is not what has happened.

I listened very carefully in this House over the past number of months to the pleas of Deputy Rabbitte when he questioned the Taoiseach about medical cards. I have a few quotes from Deputy Rabbitte but I will not quote them now.

The Tánaiste should do so.

Deputy Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach if he could not ensure that at least people could take their children to the doctor without worrying about the cost.

Deputy Twomey, on behalf of Fine Gael, came out with a policy proposal that we should consider doctor only medical cards and that under a Fine Gael-led Government, the medical card would only be extended to doctor only visits. I am not making political points about that; I am simply saying——

Allow the Tánaiste to speak without interruption.

In regard to the doctor only visit, to which I referred on Sunday, almost 1.4 million people will now be able to go to the doctor without worrying about the cost. That will be the highest number since 1995, notwithstanding the fact the average take home pay has gone up by at least €10,000 in the meantime. In a country where unemployment is down to 4.4%, 1.4 million citizens will have a medical card at least entitling them to access to the doctor. Furthermore, the initiative has been very well received.

By whom?

It has been well received by many representative bodies, except the Labour Party. It is a bit like Aer Lingus, it seems to want a Robert Mugabe-type solution where it can call the aeroplanes off the tarmac.

That is even below the Tánaiste's normal comments.

Those in the Labour Party are the only ones who want no private investment in Aer Lingus.

The medical card has been very well received.

The Tánaiste must be likening the Taoiseach to Robert Mugabe.

The Government could have chosen to go down the traditional route and have given 75,000 more medical cards. We did a combination of things which, in all the circumstances, are right. Furthermore, if anybody is in particular hardship, there is discretion to grant a medical card. Some 70,000 people have medical cards based on the fact there may be illness in the family for a particular period which prevents them from having any earnings, or earnings sufficient to their meet needs. In all the circumstances, what the Government did was right and I am surprised Deputy Rabbitte does not support it given all his calls to the Taoiseach to ensure people were not worried about going to the doctor.

Of course I have called on the Taoiseach to deal with situations where parents are afraid to bring their children to the doctor because they will not be able to afford food for the rest of the week. I do not understand the point the Tánaiste made or the point she made about how much average take home pay has increased. Does she know what the thresholds will be after her 7.5% increase from the new year? A married couple with two children on €285 per week, a married couple with four children on €360 per week and a single person on €155 per week will not qualify for a medical card.

What is the point quoting average take home pay figures and stating how much they have improved since 1997? A couple with two children in a very low income job and in receipt of more than €285 per week will not qualify for a medical card, yet the Tánaiste states that the thresholds are higher for her "yellow pack" card. I will tell her what they are. A married couple with two children on €360 per week will not qualify for GP care. Somebody earning €360 per week and who now, thanks to the Tánaiste, will be able to go to the doctor with the doctor only "yellow pack" card, will not be able to get a prescription filled and will not be entitled to any of the other services associated with a medical card. The Tánaiste knows that because she has also increased the drugs refund threshold to €85 per month. She has increased the cost of an overnight stay in hospital by €10 and increased the cost of a visit to an accident and emergency department by €10.

Whatever about her Robert Mugabe jibes, which would be more appropriate to the Taoiseach's outburst last week than to me, does the Tánaiste have any appreciation, on her income or on the incomes of the deadbeat Ministers beside her, what it is like to live on €360 per week and still only qualify for a "yellow pack" card?

If Deputy Rabbitte is quoting statistics, he will know that if the people in question pay rent or a mortgage of over €25 per week, all that is added to the income. If he is quoting figures, I would like to make sure he quotes them accurately. Some people who earn €500 or €600 per week will still get a medical card because of rent——

Who will?

Allow the Tánaiste to speak without interruption.

For people who pay rent or mortgages or have travel to work expenses, it is all added to the income level. That is why so many people have access to medical cards.

Only a portion is added.

Deputy Rabbitte was allowed to ask his question without any interruption and the Tánaiste is entitled to exactly the same courtesy. Deputy Rabbitte is entitled to hear an answer to his question. The Chair will have to take appropriate action if the interruptions continue.

All expenses over €23 per week to travel to work and all expenses over €25 per week for rent or mortgage are added to the income. Often people do not need to go further than their GP and do not need prescriptions or medication. They will also have access to blood tests. They want the reassurance of the doctor.

Has the Tánaiste visited a GP surgery in a working class area?

Yes, and I know many of them. Quite often people need reassurance and do not need a prescription.

It is preferable that people should at least have access to a doctor without worry. Deputy Rabbitte will appreciate that we cannot do everything.

The Government should do something.

All of this requires significant resources. The GMS will receive increased funding of more than €200 million, or 12% next year. That is a considerable resource. We must have priorities and make choices. Giving as many people as possible access to their GP is reasonable in all the circumstances and removes a significant worry for many parents, particularly with regard to their children.

The Government has more respect for horses than for people.