News
Dental Scheme Cutback – Older People MUST not be made to suffer
The latest circular from the HSE limiting the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) will have a dramatic impact on Older People
Ms Hayes CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament said today.
As well as the detrimental health and welfare aspects, it could result in costs to pensioners of between €230 and €400 per year according to figures from the Irish Dental Association.
The DTSS provides medical card holders with basic dental treatment and ensures that medical card holders receive pain relief, preventative treatment, denture services and emergency care. Budget 2010 limited DTSS expenditure to €63million at a time of rising demand. The HSE’s April circular could mean that 1.6 million medical card holders may be denied routine treatments such as fillings and extractions.
The Department of Health’s own figures show that people over 65 are by far the biggest users of the DTSS and will therefore be the hardest hit by this latest cutback. Almost €12 million (25.5%) of total payments for treatments was for those aged 65 or over; even though only 14% of this age group used the DTSS in 2003 (the latest figures publicly available).
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament welcomes the trend in the general population of better and increased teeth retention for Older People, but they are still the age cohort with the most missing teeth and therefore require the most dentures and denture repairs
said Ms. Hayes.
This cutback again hits the most vulnerable. Older People are entitled to receive dental treatment which ensures they can live free from oral pain, with the ability to eat good food and speak and even sing a song or two. Cuts in this basic service just do not make financial sense as regular dental treatment is most important in older age and can be a further useful monitoring tool in the healthy living which keeps all older people healthy and active. Delayed early treatment may require more expensive treatment later.
Taking the average of €230 and €400 it appears that older people will have to provide an extra €330 per year for dental treatment to add to the additional costs of the carbon tax, the introduction of prescription charges and a decrease or abolition in waivers for waste charges as well as VAT on local authority charges to name but a few.
The Minister must act now to stop the slow drip of the removal of the universal benefits of the medical card to Older People. Many of today’s pensioners endured poor conditions in their youth with poor food and little or no dental care. In older age they must not be deprived again.
Sylvia Meehan receives Lord Mayor’s Award
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Emer Costello, hosted the 2010 Lord Mayor’s Awards in the Round Room of the Mansion House, Dawson Street, on Wednesday 19th May.
Since its inauguration in 1989 these awards honour individuals and groups who have made a special contribution to Dublin and its citizens. The awards are an annual event and are Dublin City’s way of saying ‘thank you’ to people who make a difference.
This years recipients were:
- Jimmy Magee
- Sylvia Meehan
- Paddy Doyle
- Janette Byrne
- Brother Kevin Crowley on behalf of the Capuchin Day Centre
- Paul Dolan on behalf of the East Wall Water Sports Group
Sylvia Meehan, former President of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, received an award for her campaigning work for women’s rights and her lifetime work as an advocate for older people and her work with the Senior Citizens Parliament. The award recognized Sylvia’s lifelong pursuit of equality for women and for empowering older people.
Minister for Protection creating Social Insecurity
Older People want solidarity with young
Older People are concerned that the result of what Minister Ó Cuív is proposing may set in train a process which will pit Older People against Young People
Máiréad Hayes, CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament said today.
Older People remember the solidarity and encouragement we got when the Government tried to take the over 70s Medical Cards. Older People were supported by students and by their families for which we applaud them. Now we say to the Minister for Social Protection do not use the State Pension to fund other anti-poverty measures
continued Ms Hayes.
Is the Minister seeking to divide Old and Young this year after the debacle of last year which sought to divide Public sector employees from Private sector employees?
she asked.
The issues involved are straight-forward: the Irish Social Contract entitles people who have paid for pensions to get their pension rather than live in fear that it will be taken away from them at their time of need in retirement. The proposals being attributed to the Minister would penalise the majority of Older People of whom 84% of over-65s and 89% of over-75s rely on social transfers, to save a little on the few who are outside these categories.
2010 is the “European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion” and Older People are facing a variety of challenges in their lives today –many live alone and find they are socially isolated now more so than ever before. Many others are actively supporting their families through family care and other non paid assistance.
Contrary to many reports Older People have had cuts both in 2010 and before. They lost the additional payment at Christmas, they now pay a Carbon Tax, metered water charges are being introduced, the introduction of prescription charges and a decrease or abolition in waivers for waste charges as well as VAT on local authority charges. The over-70s medical card debacle continues with a backlog in renewing medical cards and the Home Help service is under threat. We are concerned at what we perceive as an attack on Universal Payments and the entitlements of Older People.
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament calls on every TD & Senator from all Parties to clarify their stance on this proposal immediately. We also call on all Irish people, young and old, to stand together to defend the Social Contract.
Budget Fever Hits Early
ARE OLDER PEOPLE BEING TARGETED WE ASK
The Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., in response to a question posed to him, responded that
he cannot rule out a Budget Cut to the Older Age Pension (State Pension).
The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament would remind the Minister that over 50% of Older People are dependent on this pension as their sole source of income. The loss of the Special Payment at Christmas was a reduction in the payments for those pensioners during what was one of the harshest winters we have experienced.
In the year to date
- Dental and Eye Benefit were removed
- A carbon tax introduced with no alleviation measures to reduce its impact
- The plan to introduce Water charges accelerated
- A draft of the prescription charges bill is we understand before cabinet
- Higher fuel and petrol charges
- Planned cuts to the Home Help Service
- Reductions in transport services
- Cuts to the Health Services
There are still over 17% of Older People who are at risk of poverty and the State Pension as a percentage of average earnings is one of the lowest in the EU.
We are aware that the Budgetary Process has commenced and that many a “kite” will be flown over the coming months. Last year the process was fuelled by the Commission on Taxation Report and the “Bord Snip Report”, the author of which was quoted in December as saying that he was preparing the ground with his report.
Last year Older People may have been fearful and anxious. However that is not the message we are getting from them this year.