"Fine Gael Girl" - FG's online cringe gets weirder...

ballsymchugh wrote: »

the thing is though, we need someone who will not surround himself with yes men, like what we've had for the past decade or so. we can't knock it 'til we try it!

I don't think we need be too worried about that, half of Enda's own party tried to give him the heave not so long ago.

whatdoicare wrote: »

We also have some of the highest living expenses in the world - for example, electric and gas are nearly 35% higher than in England. 230 won't go too far in Ireland.

Which pensioners get free (well electricity anyway). They have no transport costs and generally no mortgages or medical bills. €230 for food and heating and clothes per week is very reasonable. That auld biddy deserved Martins disdain, considering the pensioners were spared all the cuts. Fcuk her.

Badgermonkey wrote: »

No, they get an allowance beyond which they pay for.



They tax, insure, service, NCT and fuel vehicles, a fair amount of which returns to the exchequer.

Free travel is pretty meaningless in much of Ireland, as there's simply no service.



Nice.

The free electricity allowance is generous. The average pensioner should not go much over the allowance if they go over at all.

Believe it or not the majority of people in the country live in an area served by public transport or are within walking distance to basic services. If OAPs have chosen to live in the back end of nowhere and need to fuel a car well thats their fault for not being foresighted enough.

During the ergonomic collapse the OAPs have had the easiest ride of all. They have suffered none of the cuts the rest of us have had to experience and in fact enjoy a higher standard of living than before due to deflation. I find it pretty galling that anyone in that situation can complain - and it doesn't matter what age they are. In that context I say fuck her. People have in their head of the image of pensioner in the tumble down shack with only a candle to keep him warm. While pensioners on the state pension aren't rich, they're not poor either.

If I was in charge The first thing I'd do would be to bring the pension into line with the dole. We had a cowardly government that didn't share the burden of the collapse fairly putting all the cost on they young - paying for the sins of the old.

whatdoicare wrote: »

First off Elderly people need to keep warm and feel the effects of the cold far more than younger people do- they need to keep the house warm- an extra jumper isn't going to cut it.

Second- I live in an estate about five minutes drive from Limerick city - where I live there is no bus service (FF got rid of it for us!) and the way it's mapped out the nearest supermarket is a good 15 min walk for me (an able bodied 32 year old) and at least a 30 -35 min walk for an elderly person. I am kind enough to drive my two elderly neighbours to Dunnes when I can but not everyone has the advantages of a kind neighbour!


Elderly people can't get a job like us if things get tough - they have to live on what they get!



BTW You ignored the evidence I gave that your impression of how rich elderly people are is totally wrong.

No one should be suffering from fuel poverty. If they are its because they live in a draughty house for which there are grants in order to get the problems fixed or more likely they're not spending all the money they get in pension.

A bag of coal costs about €15, turf costs less. Fuel poverty is down to an unwillingness to spend and plan adequately. People suffering from fuel poverty, yet have significant savings in the post office, I'm sorry I cannot feel sorry for that situation.

parker kent wrote: »

So my Dad who was born in 1939 in the countryside and bought his current house 35 years later in the same area, is to be blamed for not having the foresight that the area he was living in would not have great public transport in 2011? Eh...that is possibly the the biggest load of nonsense I've read on here.

Also, how many places in Ireland have you actually tried to get public transport in?

I'm annoyed by the constant whinge-threads on here, but your post is equally as ridiculous.

Yes he is. Did he think that public transport would simply magically arrive when he became an OAP? Therefore he chose to remain living in his house despite this. There was nothing stopping him moving to a small house in a town.