Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Exactly. She should not forget about us.

A Russian television network highlighted the speech by Pope Francis in the Santa Maria basilica on 15 June in which he criticised Europe for being tired because of the high level of unemployment and discarding the elderly. This Government has caused huge stress and anxiety to older people in our society. Older people have suffered a raft of cuts under this Government. Over the past three years, the telephone allowance has been abolished, the household benefits package has been slashed and the fuel allowance has been cut by six weeks. I can assure Members of the Government parties that Fianna Fáil will resist any tampering with the free travel pass introduced by Mr. Haughey, as Minister for Finance, in outstanding legislation in 1967. Ministers are supposed to be innovative and creative. That is what they are there for and not to let the bureaucrats tell them what to do. We will fight this on the doorsteps and on the plinth.