‘The few bob given to us is pittance’

BRIDIE GAFFNEY, 76, from Cloverhill in Co Roscommon, receives €110.25 a week in addition to her €223.30 pension in order to care for her 80-year-old husband Thomas.

Six years ago Thomas, who had arthritis, emphysema and diabetes, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which limits the flow of oxygen to the lungs.

The condition is predicted by the World Health Organisation to be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2020.