Why are those with free travel allowed to use it during rush hour?

[Purple]

On reading the above I see there's a good lot of elderly people who are not able to avail of free travel because of the place they're living and other reasons. I feel it's time they were now given a certain amount of cash each month to make up for this. Standards need to be maintained and why should the people with big salaries and other workers be the only ones able to enjoy themselves? It's quite obvious from reading this forum that they will never get old or any other silly human related problems. OAP's should rise up and fight this. Oh, I forgot they can't rise up, bone and arthritic problems, etc. I propose the unemployed rise up and fight for those that cannot.

You're dead right, sure you lot bankrupted the country when your generation ran it and when the wheels fell off the first thing you did was throw your kids in front of the bus to ensure that you didn't get hit so why not go all out and take even more?

 

[RETIRED2017]

That good Dub Shane Ross is set to provide more buses and new services to bring them home from the pub no point in providing buses unless you give them more money so spend on drink,

 

[noproblem]

You're dead right, sure you lot bankrupted the country when your generation ran it and when the wheels fell off the first thing you did was throw your kids in front of the bus to ensure that you didn't get hit so why not go all out and take even more?

We'll hopefully get a good long run at spending your lots entitled inheritances as well. Maybe that's your big problem, it sure isn't that you're worried about taking care of them. Also, never forget that all the money the country lost with the Celtic Tiger aftermath wasn't really lost at all. It's alive and well in closely knitted mattresses up and down the country. Believe me, any amount of it is out there. The only ones who lost were the very same ones who would do the exact same things again and i've absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for them and there's not an awful lot of them pensioners.

 

[RETIRED2017]

The people who lost the most and will never ever see it back are the people who held bank shares some are going around with a chip on there shoulder still. I know some they feel bad when the see people who used to have less than them now having more or think they have more,

There are lots of other groups doing very well plenty of money around ,

Then there are people who entered the workforce in the last 10 years on away lower income and doing a better job than the people of purple vintage who are overpaid since the Celtic tiger. some feel trapped because the will not be getting much of a wage increase until the people who started in the last 10 years catch up,

then you have the people from the Celtic tiger years who know other people from the same era getting large wage increases and know they will not be getting the same and it is eating then up ,

Then you have people like myself retired who had very little starting out in life. my parents before me would have worked if they could find work until they got the old age pension if the lived long enough to receive and enjoy it. possibly the first time in there life they felt they had money they made the best of what they had and enjoyed there final years. grateful for the old age pension just like myself others would like to take it away thinking it will make then feel better sad people I say and getting sadder by the day,

 

[Purple]

The people who lost the most and will never ever see it back are the people who held bank shares some are going around with a chip on there shoulder still. I know some they feel bad when the see people who used to have less than them now having more or think they have more

If you could afford to have a large amount of bank shares then you were hardly poor and are hardly poor now. If you were holding most of your wealth in them close to your retirement then you were an idiot. Either way I've little sympathy for such people.

Then there are people who entered the workforce in the last 10 years on away lower income and doing a better job than the people of purple vintage who are overpaid since the Celtic tiger. some feel trapped because the will not be getting much of a wage increase until the people who started in the last 10 years catch up,

Absolutely; my generation were part of the problem. They voted you guys into power again and again.

then you have the people from the Celtic tiger years who know other people from the same era getting large wage increases and know they will not be getting the same and it is eating then up ,

That was always the case and always will be.

Then you have people like myself retired who had very little starting out in life. my parents before me would have worked if they could find work until they got the old age pension if the lived long enough to receive and enjoy it. possibly the first time in there life they felt they had money they made the best of what they had and enjoyed there final years. grateful for the old age pension just like myself

Your parents sound like the people who should be getting the help and support from the State. My problem is the State giving money to people who don't need it. In essence they take it and then give it back, minus there administration charge. What's the point in that?

others would like to take it away thinking it will make then feel better sad people I say and getting sadder by the day,

If that was their motivation then yes, absolutely. I just want to see the State's scarce resources given to people who need the help most. The fact that pensions are taxable is good but why is children's allowance not taxable? I've a 6 figure income and so does my ex-wife and the State gives us €6,720 tax free a year in welfare payments. We'd have to earn over €14'000 a year to increase our net income by that much. That's just nuts. There should be no universal benefits. Free travel and free GP care for people who need it. Children's allowance for people who need it. Free third level for those who need it (like there always was) and use to money saved to give more to those at the bottom.

I begrudge entitles rich people who think they are special simply because they have been here longer. We have done a dreadful job of running this country for decades. Your generation more so. Those in their 20's and 30's will never enjoy the pension and perks that you do. I might but it's unlikely. We are still mortgaging the next generation's future to subsidise ourselves now. We are getting them to pay for our mess. I think that's deplorable. I begrudge that and I begrudge the attitude that sees things like free travel as an entitlement that has been earned. There is a collective responsibility on all of us to stop screwing up out children's future.

 

[IdesofMarch]

The rise of the right wing!

 

[inflation]

The rise of the right wing!

So taking universal benefits off the rich in order to redistribute them to the poorer in society is now right wing, interesting.

 

[Monbretia]

If you could afford to have a large amount of bank shares then you were hardly poor and are hardly poor now.

Bit harsh! The bulk of my savings were in bank shares as that's how bonuses in general were paid and I bought some with my SSIA, I was never rich by any stretch of the imagination but am considerably poorer now! I know lots of bank staff in similar situations, the nest egg is gone.

I was not near retirement when it happened but to be honest even if I were I don't think it would have occurred to me to change them. The only shares I have ever owned were bank shares obviously because of my employment so not exactly a seasoned investor, I was conservative as it happened and there is no denying they were considered 'safe'.

 

[fistophobia]

In a true meritocracy there should be no rewards for failure. For that is what is being rewarded.
We live in a socialist utopia.

 

[RETIRED2017]

Purple Said you could afford to have a large amount of bank shares then you were hardly poor and are hardly poor now. If you were holding most of your wealth in them close to your retirement then you were an idiot. Either way I've little sympathy for such people.

I never bothered with bank shares just for the record I was talking about people I know,
I amassed as big as pension pot as possible while enjoying life to the full the job now is to enjoy spending it within my means the free pass which I paid for with PRSI under PAYE is part of that plan

 

[RETIRED2017]

( Purple said My problem is the State giving money to people who don't need it. In essence they take it and then give it back, minus there administration charge. What's the point in that )
The point is they have already taken it now the are giving it back minus the administration charge they also need to retake it back from they people who the spent it on some want to pocket it but that is not how it is going to work whether you like it or not,


( Purple Said Free third level for those who need it (like there always was) and use to money saved to give more to those at the bottom.)
It was/is full of loop holes not open to PAYE Workers Not A Word From Robert Watt reform is his job ,

(Purple said I begrudge entitles rich people who think they are special simply because they have been here longer. We have done a dreadful job of running this country for decades. Your generation more so. )
Not correct My generation Of PAYE Workers Paid most of the tax and levies away higher than now and got the least back until the retire I suspect you don't want to know My travel Pass and pension is well paid for up front The Message to Mr Watt it's now payback time ,Mr Watt look at the mess you and other made trying to reform how we pay for water or should I say don't pay ,

Now that is something for him to think about if the bus is full and he is Waiting for the next bus,

 

[Odea]

RETIRED2017. I am enjoying reading your posts but it is really difficult to follow your points. Can you use a few more commas and full stops and spacing? Thanks

 

[Purple]

RETIRED2017. I am enjoying reading your posts but it is really difficult to follow your points. Can you use a few more commas and full stops and spacing? Thanks

I'm thinking of reading Ulysses to get into the swing of things. Failing that I might email a link to this thread to Senator Norris and ask him to explain it to me.

 

[Purple]

( Purple said My problem is the State giving money to people who don't need it. In essence they take it and then give it back, minus there administration charge. What's the point in that )
The point is they have already taken it now the are giving it back minus the administration charge they also need to retake it back from they people who the spent it on some want to pocket it but that is not how it is going to work whether you like it or not,


( Purple Said Free third level for those who need it (like there always was) and use to money saved to give more to those at the bottom.)
It was/is full of loop holes not open to PAYE Workers Not A Word From Robert Watt reform is his job ,

(Purple said I begrudge entitles rich people who think they are special simply because they have been here longer. We have done a dreadful job of running this country for decades. Your generation more so. )
Not correct My generation Of PAYE Workers Paid most of the tax and levies away higher than now and got the least back until the retire I suspect you don't want to know My travel Pass and pension is well paid for up front The Message to Mr Watt it's now payback time ,Mr Watt look at the mess you and other made trying to reform how we pay for water or should I say don't pay ,

Now that is something for him to think about if the bus is full and he is Waiting for the next bus,

It doesn't matter how many times you say otherwise, the fact remains that pensions and welfare are paid for out of current taxation so you, just like me, contributed nothing to your State pension. Even if there was a fund unless you were a single earner with no children and earned an average of €100,000 a year for 40 years and everything you paid in went into your pension fund you still didn't pay for your State pension.
The reality is that people entering the workforce will work longer that you and get far less for the PRSI they pay.
They will pay your your pension but won't get the same in return when they retire because they current structure is unsustainable, which is because we are living longer than the current system allows for. It that fair?

There's no getting around that fact that there is a €440 billion shortfall in the State pension pot (or the pot that would be there if it wasn't funded from current expenditure). If you'd paid for your own pension would that be there?

And while you live off them you want to take their seat on the bus as well!

 

[Black Sheep]

I still fail to see the saving in an OAP travelling on a bus at 10am instead of 8am.
Wasn't that Robert Watts job, to see where savings could be made?

 

[llgon]

I still fail to see the saving in an OAP travelling on a bus at 10am instead of 8am.

Buses 7.30-9am full, with say 10% OAPs travelling with pass, some needing to travel at this time, others not. Leaving other passengers stranded at bus stops.

10am buses less than half full.

Need to increase earlier services by 5-10% to accommodate all passengers, these buses of no use for remainder of day.

Seems to be simple enough.

 

[Sophrosyne]

That may or may not be the case, but who knows? No current published statistics to back up Robert Watts's statement.

 

[llgon]

Black Sheep couldn't see how savings could be made. While the figures I used are purely speculative the purpose of my post was to show how. I think that case is clear.

AFAIK Robert Watt just called for a discussion on the issue, what statement did he make that needs statistics to back up?

 

[Black Sheep]

Lots of OAP's on our route are travelling to 8 and 9am hospital appointments. Perhaps the hospitals need to have a look at their systems.

 

[Sophrosyne]

Black Sheep couldn't see how savings could be made. While the figures I used are purely speculative the purpose of my post was to show how. I think that case is clear.

AFAIK Robert Watt just called for a discussion on the issue, what statement did he make that needs statistics to back up?

He called for a discussion based on one pensioner he knew who used his bus pass during the morning rush hour to meet his friends.
That is hardly enough to form the basis of a discussion.
For a meaningful discussion on transport usage and associated costs, he needs to bring facts & figures to the table, not just about free travel passes but anything else under his purview.