Whatever about the Government being seen as a lame duck Government, there is no doubt that the Government's goose has been well and truly cooked by the electorate and that the Government is on borrowed time. In recent months the State has lost the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice and Equality, the Tánaiste and the Government parties have lost MEPs and council seats up and down the State. In my view the Government parties have been given a very clear message by the electorate who are sick and tired of the unfairness of many of the policy choices which have been made by the Government.

One of these policies relates to the provision of medical cards. It is not so long ago that Senators on this side of the House, including Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and some Independent Members, pointed to the cut in funding for medical card provision contained in the budget. Fine Gael and Labour Party Members voted for that cut. For Senator Michael Mullins and others in the Fine Gael Party to seek now to place responsibility for the current fiasco on the shoulders of the management and staff of the medical card processing unit, who are, after all, overseeing Government policy, is absolutely outrageous and despicable. Colleagues opposite should take responsibility for their own actions. They and their party voted for these cuts and are therefore responsible for carers, people with disabilities and sick people losing their medical cards. They should man up and, instead of blaming staff, take responsibility themselves.

I am in agreement with Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell regarding all of the Government failures she listed. However, the Senator has a brass neck to claim to be independent given that she has stuck with Fine Gael through thick and thin in this House.

The Senator Cshould examine my voting record. I have exercised independence in this House.

Senator David Cullinane should be allowed to speak without interruption.

When it came to crucial votes in this House-----

I will not be lectured to by Sinn Féin. I was making a general point about the importance of listening to voices in the Seanad.

The Senator is not immune to criticism.

Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

If Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell wants to be taken seriously as an Independent Senator, she should act independently. She has not done so up to now.

I have acted independently since I first came through the door of this Chamber.

The Senator should not come in here and display that type of hypocrisy.

If we want to see hypocrisy, all we have to do is ring Sinn Féin.

The reality is that a change of leadership in the Labour Party is not enough. We need a change of Government and a change of policies.

The Senator is way over time.

Will the Leader organise a debate on the programme for Government? All Members, on both sides of the House, must have an opportunity to have their say on what the programme for Government entails and what it should contain. We need to take on board what the electorate has said in these elections.