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 ?

Is he suggesting they didn't agree on the income limit at a cabinet meeting?
I find that hard to believe, especially considering if you just excluded the "very rich" you would not save a lot of money, which was, were told, the whole point of this change.

I've added a 24-hour poll to this thread.

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I find it hard to believe too. Surely anybody with an ounce of sense would have seen how explosive this issue had the potential to be (and turned out as such) and would it not have been politically prudent to examine the issue closely before signing off on it?

Keep digging.

I voted yes they should leave out of a desire to see regime change rather than an expectation that they will. The greens may just be growing up fast and while one noted Fianna Failer minister is reputed to have said after coalition negotiations that the greens were the easiest lay he had ever had it may be the greens are reluctant to act as mudguards on this. Rightfully so. If the greens are going to pull the plug then its surely into a Interparty govt. which will immediately call an election. That could see them left out in the cold if FG and Labour pulled in the numbers for a govt.
Nailing my colours the Greens will stay, at least in the short term.

Considering Green policy is to aim for medical cards for all citizens (or was in 2002 when they had a drastic increase in seats), anything that goes in the opposate direction of that should be of great concern to them, and I would have thought they'd asked for specifics.

So either:

1. They did not have the curiosity to ask at the cabinet meeting
2. They did ask and were not told, in which case they should not have agreed to a budget.....but they knew when the bill came up and still voted for it so even that makes no sense....
3. They did know what the income limit would be and are lying now that they see there is an outcry.

None of those possibilities are a good sign of Greens performance in government.

"You may have lost your medical card but hey, ye have new light bulbs"

This is looking very like what happened to the PD's, remember when they could have shown some moral courage by walking out when we all knew ahern was telling lies? They stayed in and paid the price, now the Greens have the same choice, they wont walk out though.....

Misled by FF?

What a notion.


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How many banks do we own today?

Gormley welcomes measured budget in difficult times / Latest news / News / Home - Green Party / Comhaontas Glas

see this page on the greens website to see just how "misled" they were???

"The Government has also increased fuel allowances, welfare payments, the health budget and the school building programme, and this is to be welcomed. I am happy too that the equality agency and human rights agency will retain their independence."

Above a quote taken from the page from Dan the man!! Increases in health budget!!! But at whose cost Dan

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Maurice Nelligan..May 2009
We do not wait happily or expectantly. It is a grim wait. In the words of Edmund Burke, “there is however a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue”. We are fast approaching that point.

This conflicts directly with what Sister Mary White said on Friday. She seemed to turn her snooty little nose up at any notion of ANYONE losing the medical card. Is Gogarty now saying that the Greens KNEW and were HAPPY that some people were going to lose out?