Madam, - May I give a seasonal "Bah Humbug" to Minister for Health Mary Harney's current proposal to tax beyond the grave citizens who, due to age-related infirmity, are forced to avail of nursing home care. The social contract that the people of this State have with its Government, through a lifetime of paying income tax and PRSI, should be sufficient to ensure that with the inevitable onset of extreme old age, or long-term incapacity, they are looked after by a caring and just society and not have legislation put in place to plunder their estates to recoup maintenance costs for required nursing accommodation.
Demographically Ireland has an ageing population and the current lack of public nursing home places, with the absence of an all-embracing system of home care for the aged, is obvious. Thus provisions to address this situation must be welcome.
However, if this proposed legislation is enacted where does the Government draw the line, at what percentage of a person's estate will it be happy with in 15 years time for example?
The current, much-vaunted low tax economy is not relevant to thousands of pensioners who have been unable to afford premiums for private health care, or must of financial necessity forgo the payments to same on retirement. These are the members of society who have scrimped and saved to service mortgage repayments and now the Government proposes to take money from their estates to bolster its currently bulging coffers.
We are all growing older and living longer, so let us have adequate, publicly-funded, well-equipped and staffed public nursing homes with comprehensive home care provisions, paid for from the public purse to which we all contribute. It's the least we deserve after a lifetime's hard work. - Yours, etc,
JENNIFER R. MARTIN,
Westport, Co Mayo.
Madam, - Suggestions from opposition politicians that the Government's new policy on funding for elderly care could mean that someone's home might be "sold from under them" are thoughtless and factually incorrect scaremongering. It is obvious that there will be a concerted campaign to sow fear and confusion in a bid to reap a harvest in votes.
The reality is that for the first time in this State an aspect of health care will have guaranteed and universal coverage, with the distinction between private and public abolished and any payment due set strictly in accordance with ability to pay. Really, this ought to be welcomed and applauded, not used as an opportunity to indulge in the politics of fear. - Yours, etc,
DECLAN HARMON,
Palmerstown,
Dublin 20.
Madam, - The Conference of Religious of Ireland (Cori) welcomes Mary Harney's aegist plan for funding long-term care in nursing homes. Will they now support, in the interest of equality, the principle that when parish priests and bishops die 15 per cent of the value of their houses and palaces will pass on to the State? - Yours, etc,
OLIVER DUFFY,
Bishopstown, Cork.
Madam, - My late father's favourite saying was that the taxman will always get you, alive or dead. Little did he realise that this maxim would extend to the Minister for Health. - Yours, etc,
PATRICK O'BYRNE,
Phibsborough, Dublin 7.