INDEPENDENTS:THE INDEPENDENT TD for Tipperary North Michael Lowry has said that he will seek further clarification today on the medical card issue before assuring the Government of his support.
Mr Lowry is one of the two independent TDs who support the Government, along with the Kerry South deputy, Jackie Healy Rae.
Mr Lowry welcomed what he described as a "massive climb-down by the Government" and said it was likely that he would support it when the Dáil divides tonight over a Fine Gael private members' motion on medical cards. However, he said his vote was not yet guaranteed.
"I have sought clarification from [Government Chief Whip] Pat Carey on a couple of issues, namely that the Government will not lower the new thresholds or try to alter any of the other rights that pensioners currently have, including free travel, free electricity and free telephones," he said. "This was probably the most significant change around in a Government position in a week that I have every witnessed."
Mr Lowry said he could have walked away but decided he would hang in to exert his influence.
Mr Healy Rae also said he would support the Government. He welcomed the ending of the means test and also said that the raising of the threshold to €700 a week would include every pensioner in his constituency.
"There's not one single person in my election area that has €700 a week. I have no problem in the world with it. I will be voting with the Government," he said.
Independent TD Finian McGrath, who had already withdrawn his support from Government, confirmed that he would vote in support of the Fine Gael motion tonight.
Wicklow TD Joe Behan, who resigned from Fianna Fáil on Friday, also said that he would vote against his former colleagues in Government.
He said that the compromise reached yesterday did not go far enough. He said his position remained that medical cards should be universally available to over-70s.
Meanwhile, the Green Party deputy leader Mary White said that the party was prepared to walk out of Government if the "mean-spirited low threshold had been left in place".
"We were prepared to exit Government if there was not a change. I can say that absolutely," she told Carlow-Kilkenny Radio yesterday.
This seemed to contradict a comment she made on Friday when she told reporters that the issue was not a "pull-out-of-Government" one.
The Green Party spokesman in Government later said that "in extremis", the party was prepared to consider its position if there had been no movement on the card issue.
"Mary White said the party would have had to consider its position had the problem not been resolved.
"But at no stage in contact between Government parties was there ever a mention of withdrawing from Government," the spokesman said.
"There has been a week of intense discussion seeking a solution which we now believe we have found," he said.
He did agree, however, that Ms White had changed her position somewhat following her comments on Friday.
"There was a week of intense discussion," he said.
"In extremis, yes we would have had to consider our position. However, the party never threatened to pull out of Government."
