Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of my constituents recently contacted me via Facebook and informed me that their parent is elderly, vulnerable and lives in an isolated area. The elderly individual in question was affected by the cut to the telephone allowance but has accessed a 24-7 alarm service from the FOLD Ireland housing association. I understand FOLD Ireland has written to all of its customers in the Twenty-six Counties to indicate that while up to now it believed the service to be VAT exempt, this is actually not the case. As a result, the cost of providing the service is going to increase by 21%. Should services of this nature, which are made available to elderly and vulnerable people in rural areas, be exempted from VAT?