Fallout from Budget 2013

Sir – On December 13th, people gathered outside our Dáil to protest against the cuts for respite grants; old men and women in…

Sir – On December 13th, people gathered outside our Dáil to protest against the cuts for respite grants; old men and women in wheelchairs with blankets over their knees, children with Down syndrome sitting in their prams and carers with cardboard signs.

Am I the only one who is petrified that our Government blatantly ignored these people, part of one of the most vulnerable sections of society, and actively participated in making their situations more precarious? All for the sake of saving a few euro. – Yours, etc,

CLAIRE GIBBONS,

Aughagower,

Westport,

Co Mayo.

A chara, – Keith Cargill suggests Jack O’Connor remind himself why unions were set up (December 14th). In the past two budgets, the majority of the trade union members, the public sector, maintained wages higher than the private sector and their counterparts in Europe. In fact, many of them have received increments.

This has been a fantastic achievement and means the majority of union members will keep paying their subscriptions and so Mr O’Connor, of course, will keep his high salary. Things have changed a lot since unions represented the weakest in society. – Is mise,

ALEX STAVELEY,

Beverton Wood,

Donabate, Co Dublin.