17/10/2013

Sinn Féin Launch Campaign To Reverse Phone Allowance Cuts

A postcard campaign, aimed at reversing the cuts to the phone allowance, has been launched by Sinn Féin's Martin Ferris and Micheal Colreavy and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Speaking from Leinster House Senator Ó Clochartaigh said: "This budget has hit older people particularly hard. One of the most cynical cuts is the cut to the telephone allowance.

"Older people rely on the telephone as an essential lifeline. They need it for their alarm, to keep in touch with friends and relatives and of course the health services and community groups.

"This cut comes on top of a range of cuts affecting older people, particularly in rural areas, such as the cut to rural transport, loss of services and additional costs such as prescription charges.

"We are calling on people to 'Press the Alarm for the elderly'. We have printed 25,000 postcards which will be distributed across rural Ireland which call on people to raise this issue on the local media, and to lobby their local government representatives to have this cut and other cuts reversed."

(MH/JP)

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