Cowen apologises for withdrawal of medical cards

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has again apologised for the Budget decision to withdraw medical cards from the majority of people over 70.

"I want to take this opportunity to reiterate the Government's regret in causing any anxiety, as that was never our intention. I very much regret that, and I apologise for it," he said in an interview in Hot Pressmagazine.

Mr Cowen said he regarded Joe Behan's decision to resign from Fianna Fáil as irreversible, but added that he was sorry the TD had taken that decision.

On the question of the public finances, he said there were more tough decisions ahead.

"We are certainly not out of the woods yet either in relation to the banking and financial crisis or anything else.

"The fact is that this Government, under my leadership, is prepared to make the necessary decisions," he said.

"There's financial turmoil out there, from which we cannot go on thinking we are immune. There are some countries facing very serious problems. Look at what happened in Iceland, and look at how the IMF had to provide a package for Hungary, which is a member of the European Union. There are similar proposals for the Ukraine this week.

"The Korean economy is under severe pressure this week and its currency dropped 30 per cent. Every economy seems to be going into recession and we have to make adjustments accordingly."

Mr Cowen would not accept that he had lost credibility since taking over the office of Taoiseach, and said he was in the same position as his counterparts in other countries. "None of them are exactly top of the popularity charts," he said.

Asked if he had become Taoiseach at the wrong time, he said: "There's never a wrong time to be Taoiseach. It's a great privilege to be Taoiseach for however long. You don't pick your time to be Taoiseach."