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Government promise on Christmas bonus falls short

Published 14/09/2015

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While Age Action welcomed this morning’s commitment from Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton to partially restore the Christmas bonus, the organisation warned that it falls far short of what is needed to restore the incomes of Ireland’s older people.

Protect the Dignity of Older People | Age Action Ireland

Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications at Age Action, said: “Any restoration of income is welcome and will help hard-pressed pensioners.

“But the reality is that older people have lost more than €13 a week from their limited incomes since 2009. The State Pension has stagnated. Prescription charges have increased by 500 per cent. Home help and home care supports have been cut. 

“Stacked against this, a partial restoration of the Christmas bonus will not, by itself, make a significant difference for older people.

“We need to see more in next month’s budget, a genuine attempt to restore the incomes of pensioners that will help to stimulate the economy and funding for home supports to enable older people to stay at home as long as possible.”

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Age Action Ireland to benefit from Gas Networks Ireland Survey

Gas Networks Ireland is raising money for Age Action. If you've recently called their contact centre or had work done by them, you might receive a text from Gas Networks asking for your feedback. For every response received, they'll donate €2 to Age Action. There is no obligation to participate.

How It Works - If you've had contact with Gas Networks Ireland service centre or had work carried out by them, you may receive a message from Marie Lyster, their Customer Experience Manager. This message is an invitation to share your feedback. 

By providing feedback – only if you choose to – you'll be supporting Age Action Ireland. For every piece of feedback received, Gas Networks Ireland will donate €2 to our organisation. This contribution can support our efforts to improve the lives of older people in Ireland.You won't be asked for any bank details or money. Gas Networks Ireland is handling all the donations.

If you would rather not get these texts, just let them know and you won’t be included.  If you are over 65yrs old, you can contact them directly on their Age-Friendly service.  See their contact details here.

For Corporate Clients- Please note that Gas Networks donate €50 for each qualitative interview their commercial customers take part in.

Details on Gas networks customer surveys is available here.

For more information about our work and other ways to get involved with Age Action, please click here.