Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It cut the actual fuel allowance amount by €3.90, it cut their gas and electricity units allowance by 25%, it abolished the telephone allowance and imposed the local property tax and water charges on elderly people with no account taken of ability to pay. The Government promised to abolish their prescription charges but multiplied them by five. It increased the cost of a bag of coal by €2.50, on which many elderly people rely, with the carbon tax. It slashed the tax relief on their medical insurance premiums, which for many people meant an increase of hundreds of euro. It increased DIRT tax from 27% to 41%, again directly affecting many people. The cost of a place in a nursing home under the fair deal scheme increased dramatically under the present Government, including the share of the person's home that will be taken as a result.

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