Madam, – There has been a depressingly loud chorus of “Not me” from a wide section of the community when faced with the harsh reality of contributing to the nation’s depleted finances, I have no desire to swell the ranks but I would like to make a point about elderly pensioners, of which I admit to being one.
This is a difficult time for all age-brackets – the young seeking jobs and the mature losing jobs – but if they have the self-discipline and resilience to weather the storm, they will still be around when the clouds break again.
Elderly pensioners may not.
This period in their lives, euphemistically called “the golden years”, is non-repeatable and of limited duration. So this section of the community, to whom the Celtic Tiger meant only higher prices and a consequent restriction of indulgences such as occasionally dining out, may be about to miss out to an even greater degree on the harvest time of their lives.
That said, I do think the elderly should contribute to the recovery effort. In my opinion the State pension should have been frozen at the last review; since this did not happen, it should be frozen at the next review.
I also think that, in view of the deep cuts in prospect for the health service, the cut-off point for receipt of a medical card should be reduced. An elderly couple with an income of €1,400 a week should not expect the State to fund their medical expenses.
So, by all means let elderly pensioners contribute, but if possible leave them with at least a glimmer of the setting sun. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – While it is topical – and perhaps appropriate – to make Ireland’s senior bankers the whipping-boys for the ongoing financial and economic crisis, their salaries and bonuses must pale into insignificance when we look at the returns to property developers and estate agents from the property boom which lies at the heart of this crisis.
If the Government truly wishes to be seen to be punishing those who created and benefited from the drivers of this crisis, it must find a way to claw back the super-profits achieved by these two groups, before it considers further taxing those who have suffered from their greed and avarice. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Your Editorial of March 16th about Oireachtas reform said the question is not whether there should be cuts, but how deep cuts should go. For a start, the Minister of Finance should announce an immediate reduction of about one-third in the salaries, pensions and other perks enjoyed by politicians and across the upper reaches of the public service. This might seem draconian, but it would only deflate a big bubble and bring things into line with other comparable countries with which Ireland is expected to compete.
If the Government makes such an announcement on or before Budget day, it will send the clearest possible signal to the electorate and to international observers that it understands the seriousness of the situation and is leading by example. If it fails to do so, there is every chance it will not secure the electorate’s support for the Budget measures.
In these circumstances, it is possible that even more painful medicine will be imposed unilaterally by the ECB or IMF as a precondition of a financial bailout. – Yours, etc,