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written by Fine Gael that abandons workers and families to look after those at the top. There is no help with the cost-of-living crisis, no action to end the rip-off, no break on taxes, a blueprint for the continuation of the never-ending crises … mighty sweet package for you. However, if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of ordinary households impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, or one of the people facing the avalanche of rip-off bills and struggling to make ends meet

that the Government has abandoned them. The Government has chosen deliberately to ignore the needs of workers in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. It could have done alternatives as we and others have shown but what it did was spend big feathering the nests … handout to the rich and well connected. How does the Minister explain that to workers who are getting absolutely hammered by the cost-of-living crisis? These are the workers the Minister told the cupboard was bare. It is a shameful and brazen handout to developers that would

with diesel or petrol, you offer people €10. It will not keep pace with the rising grocery costs or the rising cost of living. The people who sit around the Cabinet table or near it think by saying the cost-of-living crisis over that it will magically … over for people; it is not. If you were listening to your own constituents, you would know there very much is a cost-of-living crisis. If you did not want to listen to your constituents, like the Government representative in my area, who has no office

want to address just some of these broken promises. Broken promise number one is the cost of living. During the election, the Government was clear over and again that tackling soaring prices and the runaway cost of living was its biggest priority. As a man once said about … during an election? That is certainly true of you lads. The Government has delivered a budget worth billions of euro without a cost-of-living package to help workers and families. That just beggars belief. You close your eyes, stick your fingers in your ears and convince yourselves

budget has hit their pockets. This is a Government that preaches prudence yet squanders billions on tax breaks for the rich. The cost-of-living crisis did not end just because Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil decided to stop talking about it. Prices are still sky-high, grocery … heating, this Government has chosen to give McDonalds and Starbucks a VAT cut. On what planet is that a solution to the cost-of-living crisis? The Government has done nothing to ease household bills, to bring down grocery prices or to tackle sky-high rents

cost-of-living crisis did not end once the election was over last year. A recent report from Barnardos found that four out of ten parents skip meals or eat less to stop their children going hungry. This Government has forgotten about these families. This is a giveaway … poverty. That is the Government’s legacy and this budget doubles down on this failure. Anyone examining this budget would think the cost-of-living crisis was being felt most acutely by developers and the owners of fast food chains. They are the ones being singled

Ministers, they would have thought that this must be a country where ordinary people are doing great, where there is no cost-of-living crisis, where workers are getting on just fine and where companies must be really struggling, hence the need for a budget to help them … great. All these corporations are profiting from the crises affecting ordinary people, namely the housing crisis, the health crisis and the general cost-of-living crisis. It is ordinary people - workers, carers, disabled people, renters and young people - who are struggling. One in five children is growing

cuts to student fees, there is a fee increase today. Instead of a once-off energy credit for families suffering from the cost-of-living crisis, there is a carbon tax increase today. The Government is going in the opposite direction in terms of the promises it made … last November. One of the biggest problems of the Government is that it is one of the key drivers of the cost-of-living crisis. Last year, the Government took in €4.1 billion in fuel taxes. This was highest ever in the history of this State

prices rise and companies continue to gouge households, the budget has left working people worse off. The Government refused to deliver a cost-of-living package, cancelled energy credits, removed double child benefit payment and decided not to give ordinary workers a break in their income … cannot afford to send him to college. Imagine that. We now have a situation whereby two teachers are so hammered by a cost-of-living crisis that is completely out of control that they have had to ask their child to look towards their future

because of the policies he has implemented because the Government has failed to grasp the nettle here when it comes to the cost-of-living crisis. To be honest, I have listened to what the Taoiseach has had to say here today which is people are imagining this … cost-of-living crisis. Clearly from what he is telling us is, the Government has done all these things that are alleviating it. Well, they are not working. As Taoiseach, you need to take leadership and a bit ownership on this. The Taoiseach needs to grasp this nettle

wonderful and reflects the very strong value of community in the country. I acknowledge that. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, the Government has taken a lot of measures that I outlined in response to an earlier question, particularly in terms of supporting families … have also kept VAT on electricity and gas prices at 9%, so we have done a lot in respect of the cost of living but on this occasion, we have targeted it. We have provided schools with the highest ever capitation grant, which is €50 per pupil

help is broken. It is in tatters. During the general election, on live television, the Tánaiste said, "You told me cost of living is worrying you – that’s why we’ll lower taxes and help you with your bills." Then he turned around and did what … last week in the budget, with no cost-of-living package, with a tax cut package of over €2.5 billion, but without a single break on income tax for ordinary workers - not a single red cent. What happened? Why did the Tánaiste break his promise? The cost

have to tell the Minister that people across the State are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. The cost of the weekly shop, the cost of utilities, the cost of rent and the cost of fuel are all rising, with little to no support offered … disability have these increases to contend with along with the additional financial cost of disability. The 2021 Indecon report estimated the average cost of living with a disability as being between €9,500 and almost €12,000 per year. The previous cost-of-disability package, which included

That is what I have been told over and over by people with a disability, those who get hit by the same cost-of-living crisis as everyone else. Their situation is compounded by the additional associated costs of the disability. We all thought that there was some … glimmer of hope and recognition in recent years when people with disabilities were given extra support as part of a cost-of-living package, but that glimmer of hope was truly shattered in this year's budget. It was cruel what was announced last week. The Government refused

five lives in absolute and consistent poverty. That is a shocking figure in itself. It is well documented that the cost of living is higher for people with disabilities. The costs have been well outlined in terms of transport, medical costs, the cost of heating and everything else … must look at this in the context of the cost-of-living crisis. We are not living in normal times. The rate of inflation is accelerating, in particular the cost of essentials such as heating, food, transport and everything else. A Government report in 2021 confirmed the additional

would have increased inflation in this country by spending €4 billion more. What happens when you increase inflation? You increase everybody's cost of living. In Sinn Féin's economically illiterate way of assisting people with the cost of living, it actually would have hurt people with … cost of living. That is why, when we had a general election, people rejected Sinn Féin's economic philosophy

This budget could have been an opportunity to stand squarely on the side of families and support them through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis but Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have decided to throw households under the bus and have not provided any cost-of-living package … trend of rising energy costs, rising energy arrears and rising energy poverty, the Government has refused to include energy credits or a cost-of-living package in the budget. How can that be justified? This is a political choice about whose needs are prioritised and who is protected

tatters. This will take some explaining, especially set against this budget's abject failure to support families through a cost-of-living crisis that for all too many has now become permanent. To be fair to the Government, it does not pretend that this year's offering … with some small exceptions announced today, the Government has chosen not to. Nowhere will the Government's refusal to deliver a cost-of-living package hurt more than for those who depend on the State for their income. The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis exposed real

economy - will continue to be taxed more heavily as their earnings rise, even if those increases barely keep pace with the cost of living. We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Families are struggling to afford groceries, childcare, energy bills and housing. Yet instead … does not meet the moment. It does not reflect the hardship faced by ordinary people, especially those in rural Ireland, where the cost of living continues to spiral and where the burden of Government policy is felt most acutely. Let us talk about fuel - a basic necessity

only real impact on smokers, for example, from the Government's budget announced today will actually be an increase in their cost of living. There was nothing in today's budget for workers and families who are absolutely crippled by the cost of living and, of course, from … carbon tax means that petrol and diesel prices are going to rise again. Therefore, rather than support families and workers with the cost of living, today's budget is actually going to make people's lives harder. That is particularly prevalent in constituencies like my own. I read

dhaoine atá ag fulaingt agus faoi bhrú. I reject completely the Deputy's assertion that the Government has not responded to the cost-of-living issues. Without question, over the past three to four years there has been a significant increase in inflation, particularly in the immediate aftermath … reduced drug payment costs significantly over the past number of years and extended eligibility for access to general practitioners, which eases the cost of living in a permanent way for many families. The Deputy ignores all of that and condemns us for not giving energy credits

running for the presidency, will the taxpayers of Ireland pay for the mistake of running him in the first place during a cost-of-living crisis and after a budget that gave nothing back to working people but increased their taxes? This is the question the members … Taoiseach's party are asking. They want to know whether it will be refunded for putting up a ghost candidate during a cost-of-living crisis

squeezed middle". What does the Taoiseach propose to do for hard-working families? He repeatedly answers my questions on the cost-of-living crisis by mentioning the terrible war in Ukraine, which, of course, is a factor, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and market forces, but corporate greed … getting so high. These are constructive steps that we in Labour are proposing. Will the Taoiseach adopt these steps to cut the cost of living for families

things in and end the rip-off? Surely the Taoiseach now recognises that it was a serious mistake not to include a cost-of-living package in his budget? The Finance Bill is before the Dáil this week. I ask the Taoiseach to see sense and provide meaningful … measures to support households through this cost-of-living crisis

votes with our own money. There is little sign of support for struggling citizens today. The election might be over, but the cost-of-living crisis of recent years certainly is not. In fact, it has taken on a permanence that is dangerous to social cohesion … over meaningful progress on taking children out of poverty or providing some tax relief for working people in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis. There is a further narrowing of the tax base against a backdrop of constant reminders about the vulnerability of the very taxes

steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to higher education for all students given the ongoing accommodation crisis and rising cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55957/25

Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase all income thresholds annually in line with increases in the cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56100/25

Government and Heritage if there are any plans to increase the social housing income thresholds annually, in line with increases in the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55382/25

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to address the additional cost of living experienced by people with disabilities. [53290/25