My 2009 budget: The pensioner
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Wednesday October 15 2008
Pensioners Josephine and John Fitzpatrick are both in their 70s and live in a rented house in Killinarden, Tallaght.
Josephine said after a lifetime paying taxes, the budget was an insult.
She is also worried that the couple may lose their medical cards.
"I am not a bit pleased with the €7 increase in the pension. That wouldn't even pay for our bin charges. It's scandalous what we have to live on.
"It's disgraceful the way they have come down on the ordinary people. I would like to see them try to live on my pension or my husband's pension for the week.
pittance
"I have to pay €50 off my bills every week to keep them down. It's very unfair. It's people like us that have the Government where they are today. We have both worked all our lives, we have never been on the dole.
"We took nothing out of the system. My husband was a bricklayer and I worked in places like Lipton's tea, Pye radio and Kevin Street Garda Station. When one job went it was straight into the next one.
"I am on heart tablets and John has arthritis. If we lost our medical cards I don't know what would happen. They would have our death on their hands. The €2 fuel allowance increase is a pittance. We stay in one room with the heat on, then turn the heat on upstairs when we are going to bed.
"With the groceries and bills paid at the end of the week, we have nothing left out of the pension.
"I have two grandchildren aged seven and five and I have to have little bits for them as well when they come over.
"I can't even remember the last time we went on a holiday."
