Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe  this morning launched a postcard campaign to reverse the cut to the phone allowance which he said would put vulnerable elderly people at risk and undermine many of their individual care packages that allows them to live independently at home

Speaking in Tallaght Deputy Seán Crowe  said;

“This budget has hit older people particularly hard. One of the most cynical cuts was the cut to their telephone allowance.

“ Many 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, active age groups and local community groups. It is also makes them feel more secure and facilitates independent living for many individuals and couples across the country.

“This cut comes on top of a wide range of cuts affecting older people, particularly in isolated areas but also those in an urban setting where they can be equally cut off from neighbours. The loss of services including changes to medical cards for the over 70’s and the additional new costs such as those on prescription charges.

“This campaign I am launching here today in Dublin South West is a way of involving people in a fight back against these cruel cuts and can be won..

“We are calling on people to ‘Press the Alarm for the Elderly’. We have printed 25,000 postcards which will be distributed across the state 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.

“Sinn Féin put forward proposals in our alternative budget that would have reduced the deficit in a fair way without putting the burden on the most vulnerable in society such as older people.”

eputy Séan Crowe holding a copy of Sinn Féin’s postcard ‘Press the Alarm for the Elderly’

Copy of postcard below.