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budget 2026 on Tuesday week. If we look at the measures that are being implemented across this year alone, we see the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, a measure that has given needed support to 221,000 children. Very recently, we saw the free schoolbook initiative … work that has happened with the reduction in the electricity PSO levy. We have seen the significant expansion of the fuel allowance and carer's allowance. In June this year, 138,000 carers benefited, deservedly, from the carer's support grant. This is in addition to other measures

uplift and they transform. I have spoken before in this Chamber about the wonderful Kafe Konnect in Wexford and how it transforms the lives of people and, at the same time, operates a top-class social enterprise in the heart of Wexford town. It is essential that … most passionate and resilient leaders in our country, but passion alone cannot pay the rent. We need the dedicated funding streams that support start-up, scale-up and sustainability. We need the multi-annual funding models that allow for long-term planning, not short-term survival. We must

survive. Yes, survive because that is all that many people are doing, particularly those on middle and lower incomes. The Government must not alone help and support our struggling citizens. We must also find ways to ensure that corporate greed does not consume our nation. All this comes … turf to help heat their homes and families. We must find a better way to both protect our environment and allow our people to live in some small comfort in a heated home. I ask that we do this initially by way of financial support and then

five children, over 225,000, live in families below the poverty line when housing costs are accounted for. How can this Government justify spending over €630 million a year to reduce VAT on food and catering hospitality while the number of children living in consistent poverty and homelessness … also means we need courage that we will not allow the famous market forces to solve this because we all know that will never happen. We see it daily. We need the courage to say that charity alone is not enough, and to legislate boldly to fund generously

does not mean anything to the Minister of State, but it is a lot for the people I know. Workers must be allowed to decide for themselves whether they can afford to pay contributions to a pension scheme. Making it compulsory for any amount of time completely fails … middle income earners are under. This also comes at a time when the Government is rowing back on the cost-of-living supports that are vital to keeping people’s heads above water. Another problem with this legislation is that it would hand the money to the private

with a view to incrementally increasing this payment. As we know, addressing the cost of disability is not a question of income support alone. The delivery of and access to services is also key. We need all Departments and agencies of Government to work together to address … budgets included some specific measures to assist disabled people with the rising cost of living. As part of budget 2025, for example, a €400 disability support grant for people in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension or blind pension was paid in November 2024 together with

research report to tell them that; they feel it every time they go to the supermarket. Under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, living costs have become unaffordable and people cannot believe their ears when they hear the Government dig in and insist it will not take action … Fáil and Fine Gael allowed this energy rip-off to happen. At no point have they stood up to the big companies, which get away with gouging customers because, frankly, the Government is a soft touch when it comes to them. Not alone has the Government

hope to work with the Minister on that. I want to talk about the positive contributions of migration and particularly migrants who are living in our communities and contributing day in, day out. They play a huge role in Ireland and are a huge strength to Ireland … staff our building sites, the food sector and tech firms. They start businesses, they pay taxes and contribute every single day. In Galway alone, work permits have quadrupled since 2009. Migration drives growth but growth without planning causes strain. Our housing, schools, transport and water systems have

expected. I welcome the opportunity to speak to this House on the motion concerning insurance in the context of cost of living. This is an issue of immediate and real relevance to Irish households, to our small and medium enterprises and to the long-term competitiveness … been alone on this issue. I thank him for tabling the motion today to give us an opportunity to discuss this issue and give me an opportunity to outline the work that has been done by this and previous Governments because outrage alone will not solve this issue

direct result of Government neglect. I was on a Zoom call last night with up to 20 parents from west Waterford alone. In Ballymacarbry, 11 children have been refused tickets to get a school bus to Dungarvan. Parents found out just before term began and appeals were dismissed … Local Link bus because the Minister of State’s Department will not implement its own review. Families already struggling with the cost of living are in many cases forced to pay fees far in excess of a bus ticket for a private Bus Éireann service. In Lismore

average rental price in Dublin is over half the industrial wage. If we take into account all the cost-of-living increases, particularly relating to food, they have been well discussed. We have brought forward motions in relation to this. My colleague, Deputy Nash, has done great work … issue of increased food costs. However, some households are worse off to the tune of €3,000 per year on food costs alone. If we look at beef, there was a 23% increase in beef prices in four months earlier this year. We are not talking about fillet

Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any Departmental review of the existing rate of payment under the living alone allowance to reflect the increased cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48307/25

Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who were in receipt of living alone allowance and subjected to a review by his Department in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [50015/25

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the living alone allowance will be increased given many senior citizens are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48845/25