Sir, – If Michael McDowell is thinking of another column bemoaning the tough time private landlords are having in the current climate (“Private landlords in Ireland have little choice but to exit the market”, Opinion & Analysis, February 15th), I would instead suggest passing him the world’s smallest violin. – Yours, etc,
ALISON TREACY,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Matt Williams: Take a deep breath and see how Sam Prendergast copes with big Fiji test
New Irish citizens: ‘I hear the racist and xenophobic slurs on the streets. Everything is blamed on immigrants’
Jack Reynor: ‘We were in two minds between eloping or going the whole hog but we got married in Wicklow with about 220 people’
‘I could have gone to California. At this rate, I probably would have raised about half a billion dollars’
Sir, – I worked for 45 years and have a mixed self-employed and PAYE insurance record (PRSI).
On reaching my 65th birthday, I applied for the old-age pension, which is payable once you satisfy the insurance record requirements.
I was refused because I had more than €8,000 of rental income in the year of assessment and was classified as self-employed by the Revenue Commissioners.
No such restriction would apply if I had a public or private income or pension.
“Experts” express bewilderment as to why landlords are leaving the rental market but can you blame landlords, when such a discriminatory policy is in place? – Yours, etc,
KEVIN G MOYNIHAN,
Killarney,
Co Kerry.