Sir, - The United Nations designated 1999 as "International Year of Older Persons". To mark this occasion the Government invited delegates from the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament to Dublin Castle to meet the Taoiseach. Mr Ahern gave us a report in glowing terms on the Government's plans to help senior citizens.
Within weeks that impression was destroyed by an increase in the cost of the drug scheme for senior citizens from £32 per month to £42. The charge will mean a considerable drop in their income and will erode 25 per cent of the increase they are due to get in their pension.
The number of pensioners over 65 covered by the drugs scheme is 22,380. Some of these are victims of heart disease, asthma, strokes, cancer and other serious illnesses, and may hold drug cards for the remainder of their lives. Most of those pensioners have made a major contribution to the economic strength of this State, which now has a substantial budget surplus.
If Mr Ahern will not support medical cards for the aged perhaps he should consider adding drugs for victims of cancer, strokes, asthma and heart disease to the shortlist of drugs free on drug cards and drop at once the £10 a month increase on drug cards. - Yours, etc.,
Terry Clare, White Rock House, Wexford.