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Budget reaction: 'Older people
betrayed'
16.10.13
FIANNA FÁIL T.D.,
Charlie McConalogue has accused the Government of
"betraying older people" in Budget 2014.
He said the Fine Gael/Labour coalition had singled
out pensioners for the worst of the cuts next year,
with a dramatic reduction in medical cards, a hike
in prescription charges, the abolition of the
telephone allowance, increased tax on savings and
the scrapping of the Bereavement Grant. |
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Donegal North East TD, Charlie
McConalogue. |
“These are people who
have worked for decades, paid their taxes and made a
significant contribution to society and the economy.
And now in their older years they are seeing vital
supports taken from them.
“The dramatic cut in the medical card eligibility
means that a total of 100,000 older people will lose
their full medical cards. On top of that, there is a
huge hike in prescription charges to €2.50. That’s a
five-fold increase from the original charge of 50
cent which James Reilly promised to abolish when he
was appointed Minister for Health." The Inishowen
deputy said the axing of the telephone allowance adds to
the security risks of older people across Co Donegal
who can often feel isolated and vulnerable in their
homes. "For many people, their phone is linked to
their home and personal security alarms. When the
telephone allowance is scrapped many older people
won’t be able to keep their landlines and they will
be forced to give up that important element of their
personal security," he said. He said the Government
had also "targeted people's nest eggs" that they had
worked for years to accumulate with the 8% DIRT
hike. |
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