to think the Irish..

[GeruptaSingh]

...do not know a good thing when they are given one

Let them eat cheese: anger as Ireland plans handouts of cheddar to the poor

That is a headline from a newspaper

I wish someone would give me free cheese,I love the stuff

ungratefull buggers

Riven you can apply for a Medical Card.

I don't know how hard that is to get. I have a dd with Downs and I didn't get one for her. Having said that I didn't fight for it when I was turned down.

Carers is means tested and really hard to get/really easy to lose.

Kerry, the respite grant is a godsend to carers, it would be horrific to take that away.

It's all so fucking unfair. We both work and are lucky, but our jobs are far from safe. In this country emigration is looking like that only option for many.

the only option, not that.

I dunno. We were told we 'didn't qualify'

I should persue it, but it gets really depressing fighting for stuff, so we just pay out of pocket.

This is the country we live in Kerry.

Think your dd would be covered Riven. But afer this budget who knows?

If you ignore all of the OPs posts, this is a really interesting thread. I'm so sorry that it's so hard for lots of you - this doesn't make the international news (or at least, not the Australian news, nor the American news that I read) so I'm learning a lot.

Encyclogirl, plse do pursue it and get it for your dd, it will soon be impossible to get medical cards, it is harder to take away when you have the card. Could MAB'S or citizens advice help with the application?

Riven your dd would be covered but you would be buried under the Mt. Everest of paper work, and have all financial aspects of your life investigated and then have to redo the paper work because you misspelt a word and again because they lost it.
Can you tell I have been there with the paperwork

Kerry the OAP's are a section of society who will take to the streets and who will go out and vote, They are save this time round, FF and the Greens are not brave nor are FG or Labour

I'll call her OT later today and ask what she thinks. She has some issues but thankfully few.

OAPs will be hit. No question about it. They have to find 15Billion. They will be brutal. This on top of 3 previously brutal budgets.

It's soul destroying at the moment.

Personally I'm not that keen on cheese. I think I would need a few other ingrediants to go with the cheese before I was happy, perhaps bread or a pizza base with tomato topping. IMO YABU OP & the Irish ABR

The two Brians will have to be very brave to do that it could bring down the gov, Remember the medical card? But yes it needs to be looked at what is it 230.00 euro a week? and then they may have a private pension/income as well and free medical care and meds [My Nan never uses her paracetamol, asthma meds or cream [that my niece needs for her skin]and because her Dr never takes it off the prescription despite being told we use them but tbh the waste of meds must be huge as I know so many elderly who take it because it is free but never use it.