The Greens were misled by FF - Paul Gogarty

[spidermom]

"The second point concerns the removal of medical cards from people over 70 years of age. This measure was introduced with the best of intentions, albeit with an eye towards achieving a certain political advantage. It was brought in on a rushed basis with no particular knowledge of what the cost might be or its proper social effect. There was a need to re-adjust that. I am not too sure whether it has been done properly but at least we know that people over 70 years of age with incomes of €650 per week will still be in receipt of either a full medical card, a doctor-only medical card or a €400 grant towards their medical costs in a year. If anyone in the Opposition would like to argue that someone aged over 70 with an income in excess of €650 per week should receive some type of support from the State I would like to hear that argument.

Some of us would like to have a universal health system but we have neither the means nor the resources. There are some of us who would like to see a universal medical insurance system in place but that will not happen in a budget like this one. We must make short-term difficult decisions and run the risk of the unpopularity that follows. As a member of a Government, I have made that choice, my party has made it and so has the Government in which we serve. How it falls out and whether it may be adjusted in future legislation is something we will discover."

Dan Boyle again,taken from senad debate 15/10/08.From this income levels were discussed!
heres the link
Parliamentary Debates (Official Report - Unrevised) Seanad Éireann Wednesday, 15 October 2008 - Page 2

[jdckelly]

How much did the green ministers actually contribute to the budget other than the small environmental crap in it? Did they deliberately ignore what else was going on in the budget?

[grassroots]

Speaking on radio 1, Paul Gogarty said the Greens were misled by FF over the medial card scandal. He said they were assured that only the very rich would not get a medical card, how much longer can the Greens stay in bed with FF ?

They have a 5 year (?) programme for government with FF. They should stay in to complete as much of the term as possible. It is too early to withdraw.

[Digout]

How much did the green ministers actually contribute to the budget other than the small environmental crap in it? Did they deliberately ignore what else was going on in the budget?

Did they ignore or were they not told? Did they applaud the speech?

[Big Bobo]

The Greens are currently suffering an illness called "Stockholm syndrome"

[mccafferty cat]

Oh but wait, they had a "Carbon Budget" the day after the real grown-ups budget.

What a victory for Greens in government!

[White Horse]

This is the problem with the Greens. They are simply not interested in health, education, and social services that affect ordinary people. Once they got their free benefit in kind bicycles, they were happy.

They are nowt but a fringe pressure group and add nothing to government other than getting their phyrric victories on benefit in kind bicyles and mercury light-bulbs.

[Digout]

They have a 5 year (?) programme for government with FF. They should stay in to complete as much of the term as possible. It is too early to withdraw.

Yes, they need to be in government for 2 years before they get the full pension benefits etc?

[greengoose]

They have a 5 year (?) programme for government with FF. They should stay in to complete as much of the term as possible. It is too early to withdraw.

How true! It's early days yet and I suppose we will be bombarded with rhetoric a few weeks before the next election. In the meantime we will watch the cringeing, hyprocritical gang of wasters mudflapping for FF.

[PhoenixIreland]

Oh but wait, they had a "Carbon Budget" the day after the real grown-ups budget.

What a victory for Greens in government!

Like a child with one of those toy steering wheels in the car with daddy, daddy lets them think they're helping him drive, but the steering wheel is not connected.