700 blind people to receive €4.3m in social welfare arrears
The Government has agreed to pay €4.3m in arrears to some 700 blind people who were underpaid in welfare allowances for more than two years.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney has given the money to the health boards to meet the back payments, which are worth just over €6,000 per individual.
Fine Gael TD Michael Ring has welcomed the move, but said the situation with the allowance was a further indication of the Government's attitude to vulnerable members of society.
"If this Government are remembered for anything this year, they'll be remembered for three things: robbing the poor, robbing the elderly and not paying the blind," he said.
"But I'm delighted that we had a victory this year and 700 blind people whose money had been due to them for the past number of years will get this money in the new year."
