A rare display of people power forcing a Govt's hand

How well we treat our old people - those who often went without as they soldiered through tougher economic times than we have recently known and who helped cement the bedrock upon which the Celtic Tiger was built - is the mark of any civilised society. It is a rule of conduct that has been severely tested in the past week. Politicians like to believe that they invariably have their finger on the pulse of the nation and are finely attuned to the feelings of their constituents on the ground. Bearing that in mind, it is quite amazing just how out of touch they can actually be as the calamitous fallout from Finance Minister Brian Lenihan"s budget continues to reverberate a week later. Withdrawing the automatic right to a medical card from those over 70 in this country has been an unmitigated disaster for the Government and has seen the greatest backlash against a Government witnessed for many years. It triggered a backbench revolt that has only been quelled in the past 24 hours with a major climbdown by the Taoiseach and his ministers and significant concessions on the eligibility criteria which will allow up to 95 per cent of those who currently hold a card to retain it. New applicants from next year will not have the automatic entitlement. It is quite simply morally wrong that people who have worked all their lives and contributed hugely to the success of modern Ireland could be penalised in this way. Elderly pensioners who depend on their medical card to be able to get the medication and medical equipment they need to live out their years in some measure of comfort have been traumatised by the developments of the past week, and particularly the lack of clarity over the means test criteria that would be used to determine who would get to keep it and who would not. To a large extent, the Government"s concessions of this week has removed much of that uncertainty for people and quelled the revolt that was building within Fianna Fail over the medical cards issue. The position of the independent TDs conditionally supporting the Government is less clear, while the Opposition continues to condemn the coalition for its ham-fisted handling of the debacle. Everyone accepts that the Government was faced with a very difficult task in attempting to balance the books this year and everyone had been warned to expect strong medicine. Going after the elderly, the most vulnerable in society, however, displayed an astonishing lack of political nous. The savings to be garnered by this measure amount to €100 million, a relatively small amount in the context of the multiples of billions dealt with in last week"s budget. There are more obvious places to go looking to prune in order to make savings, such as creating greater efficiencies in the public service. However, thousands of pensioners who marched in Dublin yesterday (Tuesday) to voice their anger about the medical cards controversy remain unhappy with the changes announced by the Government yesterday morning, even though it means the overwhelming majority of those currently holding a medical card won"t have to undergo a means test. The new income thresholds which will now apply have been increased to €700 per week for someone who is single and €1,400 for a married couple. The Government u-turn on the issue is a major humiliation for the Taoiseach, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Health Minister Mary Harney as well as being a stunning victory for people power on the streets. Every Government TD"s constituency office was besieged by angry callers in the past week as the more mature sections of our society - traditionally those who turn out in the largest numbers to vote - very articulately vocalised their concerns over the move and let Government TDs know in no uncertain terms that their job would be on the line if this measure was voted through. While their is relief in many households throughout the country today with the major changes announced, the majority feeling in the country still remains that the Government, when it saw it had backed a losing horse on this occasion, should have abandoned its proposals and stuck with the principle of universal access to medical cards for all over 70.