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this issue. I want to acknowledge at the outset, because it is true, that people in this country are still finding the cost of living a very significant issue. I know that, the Deputy knows that and there is not a TD in Dáil Éireann … reduction in the levy and save them a few bob on their electricity bills. The Government is taking action on the cost of living and I do not think it is right or proper to get into a branding exercise about whether there will be a cost

theaghlaigh. Soaring prices - that is what everybody is talking about out there. In the last couple of weeks, we put out a cost-of-living survey online. Thousands of people replied to that survey and the results mirrored what we hear every day. The price of everything … their partners in government, stand up and say they will not do anything for them and will not bring forward a cost-of-living package in this year's budget. The State has never been better off but the hard-working people who made that happen have been

This is shocking news emerging about the plane crash. I want to deal with the issue of the cost of living. I was going to raise the issue of education and how some schools are under pressure to keep the lights on. However, I see the Fine Gael … another €83 on to that. This is money that comes out of people's pockets in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Does the Tánaiste not listen to his constituents who tell him about their grocery bills going through the roof? Does he not hear that

what he has done but people's lived experience is that not enough is being done. The Government has ruled out a cost-of-living package in this year's budget. It is the wrong approach. The Government has done other things the Tánaiste did not mention … roof. This Government is impotent in the face of that. People are struggling. I am asking the Government again for a cost-of-living package that will support families and workers right throughout this State in the middle of this cost-of-living crisis. It is what

embedded because it gives us the police force we have. The Government is very conscious of price increases and the cost of living more generally. Even though inflation has fallen and is down to 2%, the bottom line is that the elevated level of inflation, arising … households and businesses. The Think-tank for Action on Social Change, TASC, published its annual report today. It found that the temporary cost-of-living supports such as the pandemic unemployment payment, energy credits and lump-sum welfare payments played a critical role in reducing poverty risk among

year the capitation payment to primary schools is €200 but it is to increase from this September to €224. However, because of cost-of-living increases announced in the budget last year primary schools received an extra €36 per student in the 2024-2025 school year. Consequently … real terms the capitation grant for the 2024-2025 year, including the cost-of-living allowance per pupil, was €236, whereas in the coming year it will be €224. While the core grant has certainly increased by 12% and that is welcome, without the cost-of-living provision

addressed. This issue may have been flagged for years. Maybe the Minister will address that. In this instance, this is a cost-of-living measure because the Government is attacking those people who often cannot afford it. Someone owning their own home does not necessarily mean they have … huge increase for those people, especially for those who do not have additional funds or have already been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis. The cost of fuel and food is substantially increasing, as is basically the cost of living in every way. The cost

lies our issue with the Bill. We agree that working families in average family homes who are already being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis should be saved from very large hikes in their local property taxes as a consequence of rising property prices. We absolutely … yield from those with abundant resources to give working people a break, whether by using the resources we have to reduce the cost of living and invest more in public services or, over time, reduce the proportion of tax that working people pay. A second and equally important

That is a basic fault and problem with the property tax at the moment. The other element in this is that the cost-of-living crisis is really hurting families at the moment. We have not had a proper debate about the cost-of-living crisis since … Last year the Government took in €4.1 billion in fuel taxes, the highest fuel tax take ever in the jaws of a cost-of-living crisis, which is incredible. Normally the instinct would be to reduce the fuel taxes when people are hurting so much. Carbon taxes

this unjust and unnecessary local property tax. The Bill proposes to increase charges on the vast majority of households despite the cost-of-living crisis. We have also been told there will be no more cost-of-living supports despite food prices, food inflation and everything else rising … timed to try to force people to pay this tax, especially as we are entering such an uncertain period and when the cost of living is so high. All the people we are talking about have their own houses. They pay everything and never shirk their responsibilities. They

making a real difference to children in poverty, but we have to do more. We have had a series of cost-of-living packages but we need something better than cost-of-living packages on an annual basis. Unlike any other government in Europe, we have been … position to bring in those kinds of cost-of-living packages, but we need a sustained, targeted child poverty initiative, which I am working on with the child poverty unit in my Department to prepare for the forthcoming budget

therefore to pay more local property tax. As I have said on numerous occasions, we are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, a crisis that is really biting down hard on so many individuals. Instead of doing what is right, the Government is pushing ahead … fairness to him, he has not disputed that these are the facts of the matter. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and should not be passing legislation that will increase a tax on individuals. Regardless of whether

balance. The business organisations I have engaged with are pointing to the lack of housing, pressures on services and the diabolical cost of living as presenting the biggest threat to business expansion. Have all these issues been taken into account in the action plan? It is really important … that we have a sustainable plan that will address the cost of living and the cost of doing business as we go forward

even if you know you are going to be broke or are surprised by being broke in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, you are still broke. At the committee meeting last week, the Minister spoke at length about his commitment to make some efforts with … less. Will the Minister reconsider his decision and examine the group I have mentioned, in particular, perhaps in the context of the cost-of-living crisis or commitments on child poverty? The Minister should do whatever it takes and consider again the groups who are excluded

that there might be people sitting either at parliamentary party meetings or around the Cabinet table, God help us, who believe the cost-of-living crisis is over is deeply disturbing. The cost-of-living crisis is very much not over and it must be urgently addressed

believe it will. A lot of the investment he mentioned involved one-off, non-recurring payments to deal with an acute cost-of-living crisis. That crisis has not gone away and is still acute. The Government is saying there will be no one-off measures … figures. In the absence of those measures, long-term measures will have to be put in place to tackle the acute cost-of-living crisis that is impacting on children very severely. The figures bear that

Cork North-Central, another property tax hike just represents an increased bill they have to pay in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. In County Cork, according to a daft.ie report, house prices have increased by more than €75,000. That is not the fault … might be one thing but they are living on the State pension, so any increase on them is another strike in the cost-of-living crisis. I will conclude before my colleague contributes. I will give a terrible example. Tower is an area in my constituency where there

what Fine Gael does, definitely when it has Fianna Fáil in government with it. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling to put or keep a roof over their heads. People are struggling with the cost of childcare. The Government promised … That is what the Government is delivering to people in my constituency. It is absolutely wrong in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and, indeed, at any time. We should abolish the local property tax. That is what Sinn Féin is committed to and will

unfair charge. Let me acknowledge, as I have done on many occasions, the impact that inflation is having and that cost-of-living difficulties in recent years have had and continue to have on so many. However, at each point at which the re-evaluation of the local … country and the delivery of important services and infrastructure. The Government continues to be very conscious of the challenges of the cost of living and affordability. With the changes we are making, we aim to recognise the challenges that many are facing

performing well and public finances are very, very strong. It comes at a time when the Government refuses to tackle the soaring cost of living. Prices are out of control, from rents, which we have discussed, to groceries, energy bills and essential toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste … harder to keep up with the basics and children are suffering and being hit the hardest. The Government has to bring forward cost-of-living supports urgently. It has the means to help and it is unacceptable to sit back and do nothing

absolute top of their practice and experience. It is very attractive. On the recent dialogue in the Dáil about the cost of living and some of the challenges in the price of groceries and other things, it is a source of great frustration to me that we have

watching at home was push back against the Deputy's misinformation and disinformation that the Government is not taking action on the cost of living. People know the record of this Government in helping them through the past number of years. They know how many measures we took

them - the men and women who get up early in the morning and go to work. They are particularly squeezed with the cost of living. I know there are a lot of soundings about it. I attended the committee meeting yesterday along with the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe

Taoiseach do anything at all to tackle soaring food prices? How on earth is it that he refuses to consider any cost-of-living supports when people are under such pressure just to make ends meet

Social Change, said in its publication today. That is not rattling off figures. It basically said that the short-term, once-off cost-of-living packages that we introduced had a very significant impact in helping people to deal with what has been the worst inflationary spiral since

lever to take people out of consistent poverty in the context that our social protection payments are not linked to the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34534/25

currently set at €50,000 and has not been reviewed for years and is out of touch with inflation and the current cost of living (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33091/25

PRSI at Class D rates throughout their careers, are now excluded from receiving social welfare supports such as the Christmas bonus and cost-of-living payments; if he will consider options to address this disparity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31983/25

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on how his Department is addressing the rising cost of living for people with disabilities; the plans to increase core disability supports in response to inflation and the well-documented extra costs associated with living with

redundancy guidelines, with a view to reducing the time required to claim a payment and to increase payments, given the rise in cost of living. [30901/25

Minister for Health if there are plans to increase the income thresholds for the awarding of medical cards, given the rising cost of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29603/25