Taking into consideration the fact that you have low income families trying to survive on €300 per week and expecting them to pay the €100 household charge, I think it is an absolute disgrace that you have the likes of Bertie Ahern and Padraig Flynn on pensions of €150,000 per year, or €3,000 per week who, along with their corrupt Fianna Fáil cronies, have cost taxpayers €300m in the Mahon Tribunal.

On the subject of cutbacks that include children’s allowance, social welfare, health services, to name but a few, I think it’s time we looked at that elite and privileged section of society — ie the politicians who are on a different planet to the rest of us when it comes to living standards and who have absolutely no idea what it is like to try and survive from day to day.