Groups representing older people have delivered a petition of more than 40,000 signatures to the Government calling for the defence of the State pension ahead of the budget.
Older and Bolder, an alliance of eight advocacy groups working with older people, delivered the signatures to the Dáil today.
Some 43,533 people signed the petition over the past two months, said the organisation’s director Patricia Conboy.
“Each signature is the direct result of a personal approach from an older person to a fellow citizen who has been asked to think about the merits of protecting the State Pension and basic supports during this deepening economic crisis,” she said.
The alliance welcomed the indication in the Government’s four-year fiscal plan that the State Pension may escape a direct cut in the forthcoming budget.
“The acid test will be what happens to older people’s pensions and basic supports," Ms Conboy said. "This petition was about highlighting the concerns of pensioners and we hope that this will be heard by the Government.”
The organisation expressed concern about the effect of other budget measures on citizens on lower and fixed incomes, including older people.
“While people might think that older people have not been touched in the plan, this is not the case,” Ms Conboy said.
Elements of concern include water metering, carbon taxes, the site value tax, and the proposed 1 per cent increase in VAT in 2013, with a further 1 per cent in 2014. The phased abolition of age-related income tax exemptions and credits would also particularly affect older people.
“The intention seems to be to bring everyone with an income of €15,300 into the tax net. This will have a corrosive effect for older people on low, fixed incomes who are currently trying to bridge deficits in health, social care and transport services from their own limited resources,” Ms Conboy said.
“Coupled with the indication in the newly agreed IMF-EU package that state pensions are to be frozen for several years to come, the future for many of Ireland’s older people looks bleak.”
Members of the alliance include Active Retirement Ireland, Age and Opportunity, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and the Senior Help Line.