The ‘granny grant’ just a pathetic bid to win votes
IT’S quite clear that the latest Independent Alliance ‘proposal’ – though I shudder to dignify it with such a word – is already a complete shambles. I refer to the suggestion that grandparents be paid €1,000 a year for minding a grandchild for over ten hours per week.
Given that there is no definitive figure for the number of grandparents in the country, how can the Government possibly cost this extravagance? And that’s only for starters – if a family is lucky to still have four grandparents, that’s €4,000 a year for childminding. This could, in theory, quickly multiply to a costing of €1.3billion a year to fund this ‘granny grant’.
The country is in the middle of a housing crisis, our water system is falling to pieces and we are on the verge of Brexit, when every cent will be of importance in safeguarding jobs… is this ‘brainchild’ really the best that Minister Shane Ross, who is spearheading it, can come up with?
This isn’t Monopoly money they are playing with; it’s our hardearned cash – given to them in the form of tax. Those responsible for this ill-thought-out, ludicrous idea should hang their heads in shame. Pathetic posturing is all this is, and a poor attempt to curry favour with the grey vote before an election.
DAVID POWER, Dublin 7. ... MINISTER Finian McGrath and the Independent Alliance propose to introduce a payment to grandparents of €1,000 per annum or €3.84 per day for grandparents to look after their grandchildren, to allow children’s mothers and fathers to go out to work so they can keep a roof over their heads.
Instead of having proper childcare to encourage or enable parents to return to work, Minister McGrath is proposing to encourage senior citizens to become cheap full-time child minders to compensate for the Government’s failings.
Minister, are these senior citizens not entitled to have any life of their own and enjoy their last years doing the things they always wanted to do, but couldn’t while they were looking after their own children? All grandparents enjoy their grandchildren, but not on a full-time basis; they have been there, done that, and they now want to move on.
DENIS DENNEHY, Dublin.
Keep your promise, Leo
LEO Varadkar gave an undertaking to ensure the women and their families involved in outstanding legal cases connected with the cervical scandal were settled without going to court.
This was supposed to protect terminally ill women from the ordeal of having to appear in court. But since Leo’s pledge, a number of cases are before the High Court.
Ruth Morrissey had to face 17 defence lawyers in court.
Ruth, the latest cervical cancer misdiagnosis case before the High Court, described her mediation as a complete sham – and it’s a shameful sham.
Yet again, the pressure on Leo Vardakar is being led by the cou- rageous Vicky Phelan from Limerick, who has asked the Taoiseach to honour his pledge, or step down if he cannot.
This was all highlighted in the Dáil by the Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin when he expressed his concerns for the cervical screening back in 2007.
Why was nothing done then? Many women’s lives could have been saved by his expressions of concern for the women of Ireland and further afield. NOEL HARRINGTON,
Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Slow-moving court
IN THE letter ‘Solution to Strikes’, (Mail, Monday), John Fair suggested that the Government should ban all strikes involving the travelling public and refer them to the Labour Court.
Think twice – Community Employment supervisors lodged a pension scheme/severance pay claim with FÁS in 2002. In 2008, the claim went to the Labour Court and was recommended to be put in place. It is now 20018 and nothing has been done! No luck with the Government or Labour Court. I think they’re waiting for CE supervisors to die off.
BRIAN HARRIS, Culdaff, Co. Donegal.
BareFaced cheek
FACEBOOK really does need to be brought down a peg or two – and not just in terms of its share price, as happened last week.
The media giant may style itself as the social network, but in the process it is peddling misery, in the form of disturbing videos which can be shared willy-nilly.
Facebook executives stood before an Oireachtas committee and ever-so-politely thumbed their nose at it, despite the shocking revelations about how the firm operates.
We must bring in standards that it must abide by, like other media groups, because that’s what it is at the end of the day.
P. ROE, Co. Westmeath.
Lost-looking Taoiseach
WATCHING the Six One News on Tuesday, it was very embarrassing to see our Taoiseach looking like a duck out in thunder when asked a simple question on the sale of distressed mortgages to a vulture fund by Permanent TSB.
One would have thought that the army of overpaid special advisers would have kept him informed on the sale and latest happenings around this small country.
D. DUNNE, Finglas, Dublin.