Sir, – I would like to apologise to the taxpayers of Ireland for the sin of growing old. Through no fault of mine, in April 2021 I reached the age of, (oh, the shame!) 102.
So now the nation is being even more impoverished by having had to pay my contributory old-age pension for longer than the traditional three score years and 10.
Like everyone, I have to pay VAT and water costs and all the other little taxes, thus, in effect, partially repaying the outlay for keeping me on as a “sponger”, but that doesn’t count.
The discussions lately on radio and television about the forthcoming budget, and the impact of an ageing population do nothing to gladden my heart. They just make me feel OLD.
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– Yours, etc,
VERELL BOOTH,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.