Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo, Dara Calleary, has said that older people in Mayo are still being hit by harsh pension changes introduced by the last Fine Gael/Labour government, despite reviews into contributions taking place.
He commented: "Changes introduced by the Fine Gael/Labour government have left many pensioners being hit financially. Despite changes to the system, reviews have been underwhelming with few people benefiting from these reviews.
"The harsh cuts, which primarily affect women in receipt of the State pension, was introduced in 2012. The latest information from the Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection is extremely disappointing. Around 90,000 pensioners are having their documentation reviewed. To date, just over 77,000 reviews have been completed but only 32,000 pensioners have received an increase in their pension. This is significantly lower than expected.
"Pensioners in Mayo are extremely disappointed. This government has introduced cuts to affect them and has done nothing to show them respect," concluded Deputy Calleary.
