SEANAD REPORT:A FIANNA Fáil member said she had been absolutely horrified at the behaviour of a small number of the over-70s who had gathered in a Dublin church last Tuesday to protest about the limitation on the availability of medical cards.
Geraldine Feeney referred to television coverage of interventions which prevented Minister of State John Maloney addressing the gathering. "I just thought, what example is that sending out. I think it was rude and bad manners, what I saw," said Ms Feeney.
Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) said the sentiment to which Ms Feeney took exception had been given expression by most of those present, not just a percentage of them. "You are, like your Government, out of touch."
Ms Feeney rejoined: "If it was a younger age group the whole country would be up in arms, if that amount of people were allowed into a Catholic church to behave in such a manner."
Rejecting Opposition accusations that she was attacking the elderly, Ms Feeney maintained that there had been no need for such rudeness and bad manners. She said she was speaking as a member of Fianna Fáil, which was the natural party for the majority of elderly people in this country.
Joe O'Toole (Ind): "Say that outside the gate today."
Ms Feeney said the Opposition could sneer all it wanted, because it was clear why it had been in the political wilderness for so long.
Mary White (Fianna Fáil) said she had been at the Dublin church meeting. "You had to be there to really experience the atmosphere."
Many of the women were former public servants who had spoken of having to give up their jobs in earlier times and who now felt that they were being thrown aside by the Government.
Minister for Health Mary Harney must spell out her vision for the elderly in order to restore the confidence of these people in the Government, Ms White continued.
Sitting in the Westland Row church two days ago had made her feel what it must have been like to have been in East German churches when candle-lit Masses were held on Wednesday mornings during the Communist-era and calls were made for the end of the political division of Germany.
The emotion in the Dublin church had been very high. "Nobody can criticise what happened there or what was said there, unless they were sitting there themselves."
Eugene Regan (FG) said the question was whether the revolt of the elderly had ended and whether the Government's policy of divide and conquer had succeeded. Another question that arose was how the Taoiseach could have got it so wrong when the Budget was being framed.
"According to an article in The Irish Times, which correctly analyses the situation, there have been five sets of eligibility criteria for medical cards for those over 70 in just one week. The Taoiseach has apologised. He also said that the Government foresaw this, however, so the upset and harassment caused to the elderly was premeditated.
"Will it be a fair and just society or will we pick off the weakest in the management of the economy as it pulls out of recession?" Mr Regan asked.
"There must be a serious question about the qualifications and capability of the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and the Tánaiste to manage the economy, resolve the issues in our relations with Europe and create a just society."