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SENIOR CITIZENS ARE to hold a demonstration outside the Dáil this afternoon to protest against cuts made by the Government in last week’s budget.
The protest will also mark the five year anniversary of a massive protest by seniors that caused the Government to roll back on its plan to remove the automatic entitlement to a medical cards to people over 70.
Today’s protest is targeting a number of cuts that will affect elderly people including an increase in prescription charges, lowering of income limit for medical cards for over 70s, the abolition of the telephone allowance for the elderly and the ending of the bereavement grant.
Today’s protest is being organised by Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and a spokesperson said that they would hope to have a similar response to the successful 2008 protests:
If we can judge by the phonecalls we’ve had in the last few days we’re thinking its going to be a good response, we’re getting people from all over Ireland telling us they are going to travel and that they’re getting buses or by train or car or whatever.
The ISCP says that at present they have about 350 affiliated organisations and a total membership of about 80,000 people. In correspondence sent out to affiliates ahead of today’s protest, the ISCP told its members that it’s time to change media reports that politicians haven’t received “too much heat from older people” since the budget. “It’s time to shout stop” reads the missive sent to members.
SIPTU is also lending its support to the protest effort, which takes place outside the gates of the Dáil at 1pm.
“They say they haven’t touched the state pensions but all of these issues affect people as well because with the contributory pension, everything leads into that pension.” according to the ISCP spokesperson. “We are concerned when they are touching us they are indirectly.”
Some 15,000 older people and around 10,000 students took part in a rally outside the gates of Leinster House on 22 October 2008.
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Don’t agree. The future may be in better hands with young people like these. They have at least taken some action.
spot on
Fair play to them!
He became an activist after watching 1 film twice in 1 day?
does that make me an avenger then?
I watched Debbie does Dallas 3 times in one day…
What is going to happen to me? :(
You’re gonna go blind Tal :)
Fools
at least they’re standing up for what they believe in and want to make the world a better place. It beats being silent or just moaning about.
Wonder who is providing the funding for this little venture. There’s more to this than meets the eye.
Properly some green nazi lobby that’s supporting Obama
Activist’s strike again! The culture has gone mad!
Lol they look like they want to destroy every bit of industry left in the world and play their play stations at the same time
Refreshing to see young people putting their energies into something positive even if it turns out to be a fruitless endeavour. They should be encouraged and applauded.
Climate change/Global warming is one of the biggest scams in the world. Its just another excuse for the elite to tax the life out of us now and for years to come. This is a pathetic story. How about exposing the hoax instead!
Would agree to a certain extent- I wouldnt say its the elite taxing the life out of us though. Its just another excuse for governments to earn tax!
I read an article recently saying that in the 1960′s there was 1,800 weather stations in the USA, By 1990 there was only 1,000, now its something like 700. The shut all the ones in hard to service areas, ie in the mountains etc, where it is colder. This is not factored in when comparing temperature avergages from the 1960′s or 1990′s to today. This may only be in the U.S that this has happened but alot of the global warming brigade use American figures…
Well thats a relief, can you show me where you heard this? I’d like some proof before I ignite an oil well In celebration.
oh dear god!
we are on the eve of destruction..anything that buys us a few more minutes is worth it
Omg this must be a late April fools joke!
Ever heard of the greenhouse effect??? More carbon in the atmosphere = warmer atmosphere
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