BACKBENCHER'S REACTION:FIANNA FÁIL backbenchers have given a cautious welcome to Taoiseach Brian Cowen's commitment to re-examine the income threshold levels in the medical card controversy.
The Government backbenchers have also welcomed Mr Cowen's decision to postpone his visit to China until next Tuesday.
A survey of backbench opinion yesterday revealed a level of public hostility to the proposal to introduce a means test for over-70s applying for medical cards not witnessed by Oireachtas members in years. The anger was reflected in constituency clinics and by way of telephone calls and e-mails.
Some backbenchers were privately scathing of the failure of the Taoiseach and his Ministers to foresee how controversial the measure would be.
Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West) said he had never witnessed such anger and upset in his six years in the Dáil and in his many years of involvement in local authority and community issues.
"The Government has been damaged. There is a lack of information. People do not know what is going on, and it is creating huge distress."
Mr O'Connor said that the new income threshold should be fair and exclude the "super rich".
Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny) said that he wanted to see an income threshold of €600 per person. "I welcome the review under way and that Brian Cowen is to talk to the IMO about a reduction in administration costs.
"In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to give medical cards to everybody over 70. But there is no point in talking about that now. Two wrongs do not make a right.
"There is no doubt that damage has been done to the Government. I have been inundated with calls since last Wednesday. People are very upset."
Margaret Conlon (Cavan-Monaghan) said she had no difficulty with the proposal in principle.
"I do believe that there are people over 70 years who can afford to pay for medical services.
"However, I also believe that we have to look at the income levels to ensure that genuine cases are not excluded."
Ms Conlon said that the current deal with the IMO must also be looked at. "There is nothing fair or equitable about it."
Dr Jim McDaid (Donegal North-East) repeated his call to his colleagues in the IMO to co-operate with the Government in reducing the cost of the scheme.
"If the controversy is not resolved, it has the potential to become much more serious in political terms."
Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath) said: "The income threshold level should be looked at and altered."
Ms O'Rourke, aunt of Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, did not accept a medical card from the State when she reached 70 years.
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South) said the Government should have the humility to say it got it wrong on the issue.
"We must recognise that it is causing huge distress and trauma."
Noel O'Flynn (Cork North Central) said he had met his constituents in shopping centres on Saturday.
"They are very angry with Fianna Fáil and the Government, and it will take some time before the anger dies down.
"The problem is that we did not have any pre-budget meetings on this, so there were no soundings on it. I am hopeful people will forgive us."
Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West) said: "People are very upset and quite rightly so. The reality of the situation has to be looked at."
Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East) said: "I am waiting for the parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday. There is a lot of unrest and people are angry.
"Mistakes are meant to be corrected, but the bottom line is that the economy is crisis."
