Donegal Councillor Patrick McGowan has accused the government of a continued anti-rural agenda, following the announcement of significant cuts to rent supplement in Donegal and rural regions while the payment is increased in urban areas.
Thousands of people in receipt of rent supplement in Donegal and across the North West are being hit with cuts up to €50 from this week, with little warning. The maximum payment in Donegal now ranges from €175 for a single person in shared accommodation to €450 for a family with three children.
According to Cllr McGowan, there is no justification for slashing rent supports to low income families in Donegal while the same family Dublin or Galway gets an increase in rent support.
“The Social Protection Minister Joan Burton is attempting to justify this outrageous decision by citing a ‘downward trend’ in rent costs. However I have spoken to many people in receipt of the payment in Donegal who have seen no reduction in rental costs and they have now suddenly been hit with a cut in support,” the Fianna Fáil Councillor said.
“The reality is that households in rural areas, and particularly in county Donegal, face additional costs because of their distance from cities. Transport and fuel costs for instance are much higher for rural households compared urban households , while access to amenities and community services is also more restricted. Joan Burton, a Dublin based Minister, has failed to consider this.
“Unfortunately, this seems like just the latest in what has become a sustained attack on rural communities by a largely Dublin based Cabinet. And Donegal always seems to bear the brunt of it. We’ve seen local garda stations shut down, community hospital beds closed, the future of small schools under threat, local post offices at risk, funding for our roads and rural transport cut … The list goes on.
“I am urging our local Labour and Fine Gael representatives to tell their colleague Joan Burton that this decision on rent supplement is anti-rural, anti-Donegal and will have a significant impact on households here. We need to start seeing our Labour government representatives in Donegal standing up for local communities and ensuring that our local services and supports for rural households are not continually cut to the bone.”
