Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has said that any attempts by the Minister for Social Welfare, Mary Hanafin TD, to impose cut backs on the Domiciliary Care Allowance or the Domiciliary Care Respite Grant will not be tolerated and he has warned the Minister to back off.
Last week, Minister Hanafin said that all social welfare payments are currently being reviewed and she made particular reference to the DCA and the Respite Grant as areas where significant sums of money are being paid out on an annual basis. However, Deputy O’Mahony said it would be folly in the extreme for Minister Hanafin to make cutbacks on either payment.
“It just would not be allowed to happen. The people that receive both payments are some of the most deserving people in our society and for any government to believe that they could get away with cutbacks of this nature would be folly in the extreme.
“What really annoys so many people is that it nearly always seems to be the vulnerable in our society who are earmarked for cutbacks and savings. People are not that blind that they can’t see the double standards of bailing out banks who created their own problems while at the same time those in real need are being targeted for savings.
“The Minister can rest assured that she won’t be allowed target either the DCA or the Respite Grant in much the same way that she won’t be allowed make savings by going after the Carer’s Allowance,” he said.
