Oct 15, 2013:

Active Retirement Ireland Slams Budget as 'Shameful and Unjust'

Active Retirement Ireland Slams Budget as "Shameful and Unjust"

 

The country's largest community-based older people's group, Active Retirement Ireland (ARI) has today (15/10/2013) criticised the Government's Budget announcement as unfair and said that it would lead to untold hardship among older people.  Maureen Kavanagh, ARI Chief Executive, said, "This is a Budget that targets the young, the old and the sick and takes no account of the current circumstances of any of these already-marginalised groups."

 

Ministers Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin today announced scathing cutbacks to the benefits older people rely on, including an end to both the telephone allowance and the so-called "death grant", which alleviates the cost of funerals for bereaved spouses, and a reduction in the income threshold for Medical Cards.  Prescription charges were also increased to €2.50 per item.  Ms. Kavanagh said, "The telephone allowance is used by many older people, who live alone or with frail and vulnerable dependents to enable them to have a personal alarm system, as well as to stave off loneliness and isolation.  These people will suffer directly after this shameful decision.  The young unemployed, sick people whose prescriptions cost five times more than they did when charges were first introduced and older people are bearing the brunt of a harsh austerity Budget that does not take into account the current financial circumstances of many of these people.  Energy prices have risen as much as 34% since the last income gain for pensioners in 2008, and yet they are asked to take another cut to their effective income this year."

 

Ms. Kavanagh gave a cautious welcome to the introduction of free GP care for children under five.  "We welcome the announcement that we are taking the first step on the road to universal free healthcare, but we are concerned that there is no roadmap or whitepaper to accompany this decision.  We sincerely hope it's not a populist decision made with the Local and European Elections in mind, rather than a legitimate indication of progress.  We need to take a long, hard look at how this €40 million is going to be funded," she said.

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