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Tag Archives: Kay Murphy

Warning that elderly will have to choose between food and heat

WITH many older people relying on relatively modest pensions, the upcoming winter is going to be a very difficult one, warned Shannon’s Kay Murphy, the former national President of Active Retirement Ireland. “Of course it will be, sure where are they going to get the money to heat their houses this winter? “Electricity has gone up several times, gas has gone up more, oil has gone up a lot in price. Those are all sources of energy they use to heat their homes with and to cook with,” she said. Kay said that many older people struggled during the last two winters, before the energy crisis that has been emerging. “As you know older people were cocooning in 2020 and 2021 and into 2022. We stayed at home all those winters, and Active Retirement Ireland were inundated with people who were at home alone, putting on extra clothes, putting on overcoats, wrapping themselves in blankets because they couldn’t afford to …

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Former Active Retirement president slams Budget treatment of old people

A FORMER national president of Active Retirement Ireland, Shannon’s Kay Murphy was far from happy with Tuesday’s budget. A €5 increase in the State pension and a €3 increase in the living alone allowance were some of the headline items affecting older people, but they didn’t impress Kay. “We were expecting a little bit more dignity in our lives, that we wouldn’t be left on the poverty line. The €5 increase, it doesn’t bear thinking about. As for the €3 living alone allowance, that’s a total insult altogether. “At the moment it’s (the living alone allowance) €19 and it’ll go to €22. But when you’re living alone after being married and you’ve buried your spouse, you lose nearly half a pension. “Your expenses don’t go down, you’re still at the same level. It doesn’t bear thinking about, it doesn’t make up for it at all. “There are so many older people now bordering on poverty that it’s absolutely shocking. The …

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Shannon based Active Retirement President urges major safety effort

WHILE she has concerns about the implications for elderly people, Shannon-based President of Active Retirement Ireland Kay Murphy accepts the rationale for moving to Level Three of Covid-19 restrictions and urges everyone to do what they can to suppress the virus. “Being senior citizens and aged over 70, we’re all used to it now, we have to do what we’re told. It’s no surprise that it’s gone to that, and hopefully it’ll be contained at that, that we won’t have to go to a higher level, but it’s up to ourselves. It’s always up to ourselves, we have to do what we’re told, there’s no point in testing the restrictions or breaching them. The bottom line is you have to do what you are told and follow all the etiquette that’s out there. You’re wasting your time otherwise.” Covid-19 was in her own family, giving her an appreciation for just how serious the virus is. “My son, his wife and …

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Anger as pensioners excluded from Stay and Spend scheme

THE exclusion of pensioners from a new tourism stimulus scheme for the off-peak season has been described as “a real slap in the face” by the Shannon-based President of Active Retirement Ireland. Kay Murphy told The Champion the terms of the new Stay and Spend scheme, which provides a tax rebate on certain tourism products and services, “victimised” those on State pensions. The initiative, which allows people to claim 20% back on up to €625 spent between October and April of next year, excludes anyone who does not pay tax. “I’m very disappointed about this, so many of our members are dependent solely on the State pension,” Mrs Murphy said. “Because they don’t pay tax any more, they’re not eligible for the scheme.” Mrs Murphy noted that the value of Active Retirement members to the tourism sector had been valued last year at €13.5m and that their exclusion from the scheme made no sense. “At this stage, those of us …

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“We didn’t do anything wrong”

GRIM news of more restrictions on people aged 70 and over drew the ire of Active Retirement Ireland President Kay Murphy. Kay, who lives in Shannon, was very angry about limitations being introduced on older people once again. “We’re all disgusted really, particularly in Active Retirement. We’re in the froth again, where we’re supposed to cocoon now and isolate all over again for something we didn’t do. I would feel very strongly about it because I have great admiration for our members and all people over 70 who are vulnerable and did it for the 13 or 14 long weeks. To be told to go back and do it again, it’s shocking I think. We didn’t do anything wrong, I think it’s the people who broke the rules who should be penalised this time.” But aren’t people in this age group more at risk than others? “We are at risk and we are more at risk than most. But people …

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President Kay enjoys an active retirement

Shannon’s Kay Murphy has been elected the national president of Active Retirement Ireland, following its AGM in Carlow last week. She has been involved in the organisation for nearly 20 years, she says. “I first joined in 1998 with a group in Newmarket-on-Fergus called the Going Strong Club. Then I started a group here in Shannon when I moved, so I’ve been in it all the time really but never at this level.” Kay had been vice-president of Active Retirement Ireland for the previous two years but that did not guarantee her ascension.Instead, she won an election, defeating candidates from Donegal and Wexford. In relation to the celebrations after she came out on top, she says, “I was allowed to bring 14 [to the AGM] and we all assembled in my room and we popped a couple of corks!” Originally from Glin in West Limerick, the mother-of-five says she wants to increase the organisation’s standing. “My main aim is to …

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