Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

They were writing to express their outrage at the scrapping of the telephone rental allowance, as a result of which many are being forced to cancel their land lines. Not only will this cut them off from friends and family but it will also cut them off from their community-based alarm system.

Benny Conaghan said: "They shouldn't have taken it from us in the first place because it means so much to us with no family. We rely on it for emergency response". Lil Kilbride said: "I am very annoyed over the telephone cuts. I only have a certain amount to live on. I have had a stroke, making it hard to use a mobile phone". Pat Sheppard said: "I am upset and angry. The pension is small enough to live on. It annoys me immensely to hear them say they haven't touched the pension but there are so many other things like the prescription charges and the increase in fuel".

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