A local community development worker says the upcoming budget must prioritise the ordinary person.
In recent days, Tánaiste Micheál Martin confirmed the €14 billion windfall from Apple will be spent on housing, infrastructure, and the national grid. Fiona McCaffrey Jones manages a rural social enterprise called Truagh Spirit on behalf of Truagh Development Association. The focus of the local association is to provide services for older people such as meals on wheels. Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show this morning, Fiona says an almost tenfold increase in funding for these services is needed to make a real difference.
"We deliver meals on wheels services and home visits for older people. The budget nationally for the meals on wheels service is €3 million. €3 million to deliver meals on wheels services in the whole of the country. This funding needs to be increased at least tenfold to have a real sustainable impact on older people's lives. That's my call, and Mary Butler is the Minister for Older People and her party colleague Robbie Gallagher is sat beside me, he can take that straight to her. That's my call for this year's budget".
