Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If older people got into difficulty in their homes, previously they could have alerted others to their need for assistance by pressing a panic button. I accept that this is a "smirking" issue for Deputy James Bannon, but it is not for senior citizens throughout the country. The abolition of the allowance removed the security blanket which having an alarm offered to many elderly individuals. Like County Longford, my constituency is largely rural and many people live in isolation. The removal of the security blanket to which I refer has forced some of my constituents to move from rural areas into urban settings. Those who did not move are living with a sense of unease and discomfort as a result of the threat they perceive. Is this the kind of society those opposite want to create?

I will not be opposing the Bill. As a slight and insufficient measure to reverse the attacks the Government has made on senior citizens, it has some merit. However, it is debatable whether it has such merit in terms of being a move towards the roll-out of universal free GP care. It is a shame that the Government parties lost the political will to implement the policy it set down in 2011. Those suffering from long-term illnesses, including children as young as six years, are not going to be covered. Those to whom I refer have been told to go to the end of the queue and wait until the parties in government are done with their attempts to win re-election.

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