Elderly paying price, not wealthy

May I be allowed to applaud the simple humanity of your editorial “Imposing cuts but protecting privilege” (Sept 1)?

It amply, and for the first time that I can recall in a national paper, drew attention to the growing disparity between those at the top and bottom of the socio-economic ladder and called it what it is “indefensible, unsustainable”.

And it is not just the grossly unfair cutting of supports that shows a very worrying lack of any sense of justice and fairness among our political elites, but also the levying of taxes on those that cannot afford to pay them — while those with huge incomes are taxed the least here when compared to anywhere else in Europe. All of which demonstrates a selfishness that is nothing short of breathtaking.

It is simply harrowing to ponder the position whereby the elderly are being deprived of basic supports in the autumn of their lives while “retired” politicians are being paid massive pensions regardless of the fact that they also have multiple other income streams.

It is mind-blowing that they accept such payments in the first place. And the steadfast refusal of the Government to implement at least an additional tax band to target high-end income stands in stark contrast to their nonchalant approach to the hacking away of the meagre income and supports of those that reside at the bottom of the heap. How much longer can we be expected to tolerate it? If we wait much longer we are liable to die of shame in the meantime.

At a time when many correctly question Fine Gael’s claim that they are the heirs of Michael Collins, may I suggest if they read what he wrote on social justice issues they will see immediately that to continue with their current policies of bleeding the less well-off while protecting the wealth of the rich is at utter variance with his views on these matters.

Might I further suggest to Fine Gael what Collins’ first act would have been if presented with similar circumstances we face today — he would have drawn two lines at appropriate points on the socio-economic ladder and declared that, while fixing the problem, no citizen’s income shall fall below the lower point on the one hand, and none shall receive more than the higher point on the other.

But then Collins, unlike our present crop of ministers and TDs, was not among the golden circle with high end incomes that would have had to share a bit more to accommodate such an objective.

Jim O’Sullivan

Rathedmond

Sligo