I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this very important issue this evening. It has often been said that the best way to evaluate the society in which we live is to look at how we treat and care for the elderly. There has always been a tradition here to respect age and I hope that tradition will continue but in recent times there has been a dramatic escalation in violence towards the elderly. That must be condemned out of hand.
Horrific crimes have been carried out by a ruthless criminal element who have little respect for human life or dignity. It is now a fact of life that elderly people living alone are scared to open their doors at night. This applies in both urban and rural areas and it is an indictment of the type of society in which we live. Old people have been beaten, raped and even murdered by thugs who, knowing their circumstances, take advantage of their vulnerability. While acknowledging the fact that there are various schemes in vogue at present encouraged by the Garda, such as community alert and neighbourhood watch, I suggest that the time has come when we must examine all the ways of giving the elderly some security in their homes.
There have been reports that the Department of Social Welfare intend to carry out investigations into claimants who are drawing benefits from the Department and who are not living alone. I suggest to the Minister of State that far from suspecting fraud in these cases he should realise that many of these old age pensioners bring some of their relatives or near relatives, such as nephews, nieces, grandsons or granddaughters, to live with them for protection. They should not be penalised for doing so. It is shabby, mean and unacceptable that old age pensioners, many of whom are sick and invalids are being treated as criminals because they have brought someone to live with them for their protection. Many of those people should be in nursing homes but, because of the crisis in the health services, we are unable to give them that service.
It is incumbent on the State to protect all its citizens particularly the weak in our society and where it can be proven that an elderly person needs protection at home these should be given benefits such as a free television licence, free telephone rental, free electricity and so on. It is a sad indictment of our society that old people who are afraid to live alone are being targeted as criminals.
Groups dealing with the elderly have highlighted this anomaly and in Cork Paddy O'Brien, who has given his lifetime to meeting the needs of the elderly, has backed this stand of not penalising the old for the breakdown in law and order. This change in the system would not cost the State an extra penny. I ask the Minister of State, taking into consideration the times in which we live, to make the strongest representations to his colleague in the Department of Social Welfare that the rule governing such benefits should be abolished so that the elderly will have peace of mind without loss of benefits. In many cases these people have contributed all their working lives to gain these benefits.
