Much horror has been expressed at the attack on the most vulnerable people in the country, but more shocking than the general reduction in social welfare is the introduction of the 50c charge on prescriptions for medical-card holders.

This is not just a temporary reduction but a change in principle that the very poorest in society should have access to treatment for essential services. Medical-card thresholds are so low that anyone who has a card is living in poverty, or has illness that could not be paid for without hardship.

Introducing a charge is a political decision to do away with this principle by stealth, firstly by introducing a very low charge and then in future budgets to gradually increase the charge. The other shocking reduction in service is to further cut back availability of dental services. Already the majority of dentists have pulled out of providing treatment for medical-card patients, and the public dental service has been criticised for lack of funding and participating dentists. But now this universal entitlement is being taken away. If this charge was only one cent it should be opposed as it is an indicator of what kind of society we allow this government to impose on us.

Deirdre Uí Bhrógáin

duib@iol.ie