Labour Senator for Donegal Jimmy Harte has hit back at claims by Sinn Fein Councillor Mick Quinn that the government is attacking elderly people in Donegal.
Senator Jimmy Harte
“Sinn Fein are busy making calculations to score political points, and claiming to stand up for elderly people in Donegal. Yet their clever statements neglect the important fact that they are in government across the border in Northern Ireland, where pensioners receive no telephone allowance at all, and other social welfare entitlements are far below the rate that applies here.
The Letterkenny politician said he has friends and relations who live just across the border in Strabane where Sinn Fein are in government.
“They are not entitled to any telephone allowance and Sinn Fein have refused and continue to refuse any help for the elderly who may struggle with phone bills in Northern Ireland. There is no Special Needs Assistance payments facility there. They are a right wing party in Strabane and a left wing party in Lifford.
“By that party’s calculations, based on Donegal’s population, over 180,000 ( One hundred and Eighty thousand ) pensioners in Northern Ireland are waiting on Sinn Fein in Government in Stormont to introduce a telephone allowance. If Sinn Fein are so keen to make reap political benefit from the issue this side of the border, surely they must push for it in the North too, especially given the UK is not bankrupt like our country has been? Otherwise they are being partitionist.
“Contrary to Councillor Quinn’s assertion, the Haddington Road agreement, brokered by Labour, cut politicians’ salaries by 5%-10%, while unvouched expenses have been abolished.
“In a difficult Budget for an unfortunately bankrupt country slowly getting back to health, we still managed to maintain the State Pension for older people at current levels, while the Free Travel scheme, the Free TV Licence, the Electricity/Gas Allowance and the Fuel Allowance have all been maintained at current levels, thanks to Labour’s input at government.
“I am sure Sinn Fein will be writing to the pensioners in Strabane and the other 180,000 odd in N Ireland to explain why they are against a telephone allowance there”
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