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Fine Gael Front Bench Spokesperson, Olivia Mitchell TD, speaking during Dáil statements on the Budget this week, stated that a little appreciated impact of the health measures was the effective 21% increase in the cost of orthodontics due to the change in the rate of tax relief.
She said: ‘Again middle income families are being hit: the families who pay their GP, pay for their medical tests, their scans, for their health insurance, their physios and for their medicines up to €100.00 per month. Those families are the ones hurt most by the 20% drop in the tax relief.
‘For hapless families whose children need orthodontic care a 20% increase could run to thousands of euro. For many, such treatment will now simply no longer be an option.
‘The Taoiseach is wrong to suggest that the higher tax relief rate will no longer be required when the new “Fair Deal” comes in.
‘Again, middle income families, those who saved for their old age, those with bank savings or shares or indeed any assets, will not be eligible for the Fair Deal until all of their savings are exhausted. For them the cost of their nursing home has just increased by 20%.
‘The Fair Deal is not, after all, quite so fair.’
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