Mattie McGrath: Condemns Pension Cuts and Public Spending Waste
Mattie McGrath addressed the Dáil on 22 June 2021, criticising measures affecting pensioners and expressing support for Dr. Tobin's motion. He called recent treatment of older people an insult and blamed government spending decisions for added strain.
Speech summary
McGrath opened by saying he supported the motion and was disappointed Dr. Tobin's motion did not get in. He set out his position in defence of pensioners and older people, arguing for change to current rules that he said forced retired people to sign on.
Pension cuts and dignity
He highlighted a reported "2,000 a year" difference affecting people on pensions compared with jobseekers and called it "a most demonious insult" to tell a 65-year-old to sign on. McGrath stressed that many pensioners worked all their lives, raised families, paid taxes and expect respect rather than being forced into means or jobseeking regimes.
Pandemic impact on older people
McGrath argued the pandemic had further isolated and disadvantaged older people, saying they were "locked up in their homes" and frightened by coverage in the national media. He recalled the "grey vote" mobilising over past cuts to medical cards and warned their influence could be felt again.
Concerns about public spending and projects
He criticised what he described as reckless behaviour by ministers, governments and senior officials over major health projects, citing the children's hospital potentially costing "two and a half, three billion" and the maternity hospital rising to "up to 800 million from 200 million." He framed these overruns as part of the burden now being borne by the public.
Gold‑plated pensions and political consequences
McGrath attacked "gold-plated pensions" for a former Taoiseach, former senior ministers and former public servants as "shocking and disgusting," saying "enough's enough." He warned parties including Fianna Fáil, Fianna Gael, Labour and the Greens that people want fair play and that pensioners and their families will remember these decisions.
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I too want to support the motion, and I'm disappointed that Dr. Tobin's motion didn't get in, I support that too, I understand that. Look, I mean, 2,000 a year, the difference between the people and job seekers and what they've been tithed on, the pension. It's a most demonious insult to a 65-year-old to be told to go on and sign on. People who are proud in work, worked all their lives, raised their families, paid their taxes, paid their dues, and they expect them to sign on with people, then no respect to other people, but to be forced to the Labour change to sign on. The sooner that's changed, the better. Minister, you're new in the Dáil, new in politics, and new to this level of politics, and I hope you'll be able to make some influence here. It's just shocking. Remember the grey vote, they arrived here at the time, and I was here, in a church up the road near the Dáil, when the time of the cuts to the medical cards, and they showed, they put the fear of God into Fianna Fáil at that time, and your party as well, and myself, let's be fair about it, their muscle will be flexed again, because right through the pandemic, they've been black added. They've been locked up in their homes, scared the life out of RT, and all the rest of them, and the national media, and then, wouldn't even get, whether taxi drivers, or bus drivers, or ambulance drivers, or whatever, 75 people, publicans, wouldn't get the difference between their pension and the pub payment. Total disrespect this to get from. Now, to deal with, we're to pay for the sins now of the banking crisis, pay for the sins of this crisis waste being handled, pay for the sins of the abysmal waste with the children's hospital, which will probably be costing two and a half, three billion. The maternity hospital, we're debating tomorrow, going up to 800 million, from 200 million. Reckless the behaviour of ministers and governments, and senior officials. And then we have the gold-plated pensions for former Taoiseach, former senior ministers, and former public servants as well. It is shocking and disgusting. I tell you now, enough's enough. The pensions of Ireland won't take this. They don't deserve this, and their children and grandchildren will remember it for a year as well. The parties are Fianna Fáil, Fianna Gael, Labour, and indeed the Greens, and some others. I know it's difficult as I didn't plan on myself, but the fair play is all the people want. Thank you.
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