Madam, - The scandalous, barbaric and inhumane treatment of pensioners by the Fianna Fáil/PD Government has incensed the nation. The action of a "socialist" Taoiseach and the Minister for Health (leader of a party showing itself to be neither progressive nor democratic) in knowingly legitimising the illegal extractions of funds from absurdly inadequate pensions, is deplorable.
Full financial compensation should be secured for every person from whom money has been stolen in the past three years by bringing the Government through the courts.
The legal profession would do well to establish some semblance of reality and sympathy with the general public, already reeling from publicised details of extravagant, inordinate legal costs, by offering their services free to those who have made this country the economic success it is today. The workers of this country - not the drones, the "fat cats", the superfluous spin-doctors or the €10 billion a year wealthy tax avoiders - demand ordinary plain justice.
The profligacy of this Government with our money in other areas and the feeble opposition in the Dáil to such a denial of human rights will not be forgotten. Unable to prevent the passage of the recent Bill, could not those in Opposition have left the Dáil chamber in protest to show their revulsion at such a calculated insult to our senior citizens?
North-South political deliberations aim to secure freedom, justice and equality for all on this island. In the 26 counties we deny this equality and justice to our own. We are bored to tears with dreary accounts of farcical expensive tribunals which will produce volumes of reports but few worthwhile conclusions - mere window-dressing to soothe the aggrieved but which will fool nobody.
What has been done must be undone. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN JOHNSTON-KEHOE,
Burncourt Close,
Waterford.