Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's positive responses, but they will not be welcomed if she is saying to pensioners that they will have to wait until 2020 and that the rates will only be adjusted from that year onwards. There are very angry people, particularly women, who are saying this issue must be sorted out now and payments backdated. They will not put up with the loss of €1,500 to €2,000 a year when they are living in Povertyville. Some 42,000 pensioners are affected now, but they will become hundreds of thousands, as people retire, unless this issue is sorted out. This needs to happen as soon as possible. I ruge those not affected now but who will be to attend outside Leinster House tomorrow at 12.30 p.m. with their brothers and sisters from Age Action Ireland, the Irish Countrywomen's Association, Pensioners for Equality and the National Women's Council of Ireland. It is important that they do. We had a revolution a number of years ago when Fianna Fáil attacked the medical card system. Let us have another over the attack on pensioners and I know that the Government will respond to it. The more people who are outside Leinster House at 12.30 p.m. tomorrow, the better the outcome of the Cabinet meeting will be.

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