Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support the motion. I am disappointed that an Teachta Tóibín's amendment, which I also support, was not put through, but I understand the situation. The difference between what people get on jobseeker's allowance and what they would be entitled to on the pension is €2,000 per year. It is a most ignominious insult to 65-year-olds to be told to sign on. These are people who were proud to work all their lives, raise their families and pay their taxes and dues. To expect them to sign on with other people, no disrespect to them, at the labour exchange is unacceptable. The sooner that is changed, the better.

The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, is new to the Dáil, new to politics and new to this level of politics. I hope he will be able to exert some influence in this matter. What is being done is shocking. I was in the House when the representatives of the grey vote arrived here some years ago. They met at a church up the road and came down to the Dáil at the time cuts were made to medical cards. They put the fear of God into Fianna Fáil and the Minister of State's party at that time and, let us be fair about it, they also put the fear into me. Their muscles will be flexed again because they have been blackguarded right through the pandemic. They were locked up in their homes and had the life scared out of them by RTÉ, the national media and all the rest of them. People in that age group, including taxi drivers, bus drivers, ambulance drivers, publicans, self-employed people and many others, could not even get the difference between their pension and the pandemic unemployment payment. Total disrespect was shown to them in this regard. They had to pay for the sins of the banking crisis and now they must pay for the sins of this crisis and the way it has been handled. They must pay for the abysmal waste associated with the new children's hospital, which will probably cost €2.5 billion or €3 billion. We will discuss tomorrow the cost of the new maternity hospital, which has gone up from €200 million to €800 million. The behaviour of Governments, Ministers and senior officials has been reckless. Then we have the gold-plated pensions for former taoisigh, Ministers and public servants. It is shocking and disgusting.

I am telling the Minister of State that enough is enough. The pensioners of Ireland will not take this. They do not deserve it. Their children and grandchildren will remember what Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Green Party, the Labour Party and some others did. As an employer, I know the situation is difficult, but all older people want is fair play.

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