FG TDs call for pensioners’ telephone allowance to be restored

Fine Gael

TDs have called for the restoration of the telephone allowance for pensioners in the next Budget.

Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan brought the issue to a meeting of the parliamentary party in Leinster House last night and urged his colleagues to push for the restoration.

The meeting was reported to be unanimous in supporting his call and the motion was referred to the Government.

Up to 15 members, including Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, spoke in favour of it.

Mr O’Donovan told the meeting there was rightly a focus on tax cuts in the next budget but he said there needed to be an acknowledgment of the burden older people had faced.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was not present at the meeting.

The allowance, which was €9.50 a month per house, was abolished in Budget 2014 .

One Fine Gael TD said: “This could be restored tomorrow if Joan Burton wanted to. This is a small amount. If we can find money for lead pipe grants and €4 million for a commission of investigation, we can find this.”

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection Kevin Humphreys said Fine Gael deputies had a right to pass a motion. But he encouraged them to show the department where the money should come from.

It is understood the Labour Party is focusing its attentions on the restoration of the carer's grant.

This allowance was reduced from €1,700 to €1,375 a number of years ago.

Meanwhile, lone parent organisations staged a protest outside the Dáil yesterday.

They said the stigma and prejudice against lone-parent families had continued since the days of the Magdalene laundries. Almost a quarter of lone parents were living in poverty, which was almost three times the national average, they said.

The protest followed changes to the one-parent family payment lowering the age limit for payment to seven, which has been gradually reduced since 2011 from 18 years of age.

Lone parent Ruth Cullen, who has a son with special needs, said she could not afford to work following the cuts.

“We’re asking for a hand up,” she said to the crowd.

“We’re survivors of domestic violence. We’re survivors of abuse. We’re rape victims. We are survivors and we’re caring for our children but we’re being treated like dirt.”