Charity group welcomes mobile allowance for pensioners

The announcement of a new grant to give elderly people access to mobile phones has been welcomed by the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Social Affairs Minister Mary Coughlan announced this morning that the State phone allowance, which is worth €20 per month, would no longer be locked into a landline.

However, the St Vincent de Paul Society has warned that older people must be offered training to use the phones when the new scheme comes into effect.

John Monaghan from the SVP says the scheme will be of great benefit to those over the age of 66.

"We need to ensure that appropriate training is available for elderly people to enable them to make use of this.

"They can carry the phone around with them in the house and can programme in whatever numbers are appropriate - the local doctor, the Gardaí, the fire brigade, for example."