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BUDGET 2011 – It’s not too late to Protect Older People
In the run-up to Budget 2011 the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament today ramped up its campaign to “Protect Older People”. The cold snowy weather and Budget 2011 both present special challenges to Older People. The weather threatens hypothermia, isolation and broken bones. The Budget threatens cutbacks and tax increases. Both events threaten service reductions. It is vital that Older People be protected from the worst of the ravages arising from both the weather and the Budget.
Máiréad Hayes, CEO of the Parliament outlined the six planks underpinning the campaign:
- Protect the State Pension
- Protect Income
- Protect Health Services
- Protect against Fuel Poverty
- Protect Transport Services
- Protect Older People at Home
Older People need protection from the current adverse conditions. We would support the good work of our member organisations and continue to ask people to visit their older neighbours and assist with their heating, shopping and transport needs. If people can help Older People by cleaning a path or giving them a lift or getting in some food & fuel, we can regain the community spirit for which the Irish are famed. Older People make up a substantial number of the 2000 winter related deaths and need to be protected.
Older People of course need protection in the Budget. Our reading of the ‘4 Year Recovery Plan’ and the leaks indicate potential devastation for Older People,” she continued. “We are also calling for an extra week’s fuel allowance to help compensate for the freezing conditions.
Those who live alone have extra needs
ISCP at the National Demonstration
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament supported the National Demonstrationorganised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on Saturday last. ISCP people came from as near as Finglas and as far away as Donegal on a cold, snowy Saturday to show their solidarity and to make the voice of older people heard. We joined something between 50,000 and 100,000 marchers from Dublin’s Civic Offices to the GPO.
We would like to thank everybody who joined the ISCP on the demonstration. In particular our friends from Older & Bolder were prominent with their pink umbrellas.
Evie Franks made a video about the Demonstration & included short interviews with the Parliament’s CEO, Máiréad Hayes, and Paul Walsh from the Parliament’s Limerick Division about why this Demonstration was so important.
Addressing the crowd, master of ceremonies Fintan O’Toole said thatv “We are here to say that we are who we are – citizens of a proud and free Republican democracy”. Other speakers at the event included Ictu President Jack O’Connor, Ictu General Secretary David Begg, and Siobhán O’Donoghue of the Community Platform. Marie Doyle of the Retired Workers Committee spoke on behalf of pensioners. She said elderly people had made a huge contribution to the State during their working lives and were now being treated like parasites.
We resent being told that we are a burden for the State”.
Performers Christy Moore, Frances Black and Jinx Lennon also entertained the crowd with relevant and hard hitting songs while actress, Ruth McCabe read, with emotion, from the 1916 Proclamation and the 1919 Democratic Programme the seminal founding documents of the State.
Older People Should Be Helped In Tough Times
At a meeting today of the Pre- Budget Forum with the Minister for Social Protection, Eamon O Cuiv the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament stressed the importance of maintaining Older People’s purchasing power.
Mairead Hayes CEO stated that while the pension was not reduced in last year’s budget many older people have already seen their income and buying power reduced by a number of decisions made by government including the loss of the additional payment at Christmas, the loss of benefits and the introduction of charges and levies such as the carbon tax, the PSO levy and the prescription charge among others.
The Parliament today called on the Minister to maintain the pension, to increase the Living Alone Allowance and to extend it to low income civil service pensioners. The Parliament also argued that now is the time to increase the Over 80 Age Allowance by €5.
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament highlighted the essential role played by the Fuel Allowance and urged its extension by one week this year.
Ms. Hayes continued, a previous Minister for Social Welfare, sadly no longer with us, said that,
Measures such as the Age Allowance and Living Alone Allowance together with the Fuel Allowance were introduced in tougher times to help those worse off. We would contend that this is that time and these Older People should be helped now.