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past number of years under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments we have seen what feels like a permanent cost-of-living crisis. People are being squeezed from every angle, be it grocery price inflation, the cost of renting or buying a home or childcare costs, something … conscious choice to instead give a needless tax cut to the likes of McDonald's and big property developers. The cost-of-living crisis has perhaps never been so acute but now that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have bought the votes they needed to get back into

himself has said? Consumers are searching desperately for cheaper energy costs as the Government will not act, despite the State experiencing a cost-of-living crisis that continues to hit hard. In recent months, Bord Gáis Energy, Flogas, SSE Airtricity, Pinergy and Energia have all increased their consumer … financially. Consumers desperately need assistance, yet the recent €9.4 billion budget provided nothing to workers or families. The Government has compounded the cost-of-living crisis by failing to deliver cost-of-living supports and energy credits in the recent budget. It has further compounded this crisis

significant fall in disposable income for all households. Workers were hit with frozen tax credits and bands while the temporary cost-of-living supports were withdrawn. In other words, after the budget, families are poorer, not better off. Those are the facts. That matters because the cost … question directly as the Dáil concludes Leaders’ Questions for 2025. Does the Tánaiste accept that his budget left people poorer, that the cost-of-living crisis is still crushing households, and that house prices rising by €31,000 in a single year proves that the promise he made

State's figures on the capitation and the funding, schools are worse off in real terms because of the lack of a cost-of-living package this year. There is a net reduction in the funding for them when we take out the cost-of-living package. Will … Minister of State look at introducing a cost-of-living package for schools this year in light of the cost of energy, insurance and heating

recent budget, which the Deputy again fails to acknowledge, we have already taken a number of measures to assist people with the cost of living, and we have tried to target those most in need, which I believed the Deputy might support. For example, we introduced the largest … benefiting. We have continued with the roll-out of free schoolbooks and free hot meals. All these measures assist families with the cost of living in the here and now. We have expanded the working family payment so more families can qualify. We have increased the State pension

During the last budget, the then Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, claimed there was no need for cost-of-living payments in the budget because, "inflation has now returned to normal rates." He said inflation would be around 2% this year. What a load of rubbish, gaslighting people … that the cost of living was actually becoming more affordable, when the dogs on the street know that it is not. He has now swanned off to Washington to be on €600,000 per year and is not bothered but ordinary people are left with the highest inflation

made a profit of €706 million last year. A profit of €706 million made by a semi-State body during a cost-of-living crisis is absolutely wrong. We then come to the level of taxation on fuel this Government is implementing. It is quite incredible. A reply … Government took in €4.1 billion of taxes on fuel last year, which is the highest total ever, in the jaws of a cost-of-living crisis. Last year, the Government took in €1 billion in carbon taxes, the most it has ever taken, in the jaws

Tánaiste's predecessor, Paschal Donohoe, said that there was no need for cost-of-living payments in the budget because “inflation has now returned to normal rates”. He said that inflation would be around 2% this year. That is clearly not the case. We have over 4% food … cold hard Christmas for many people. At this very late stage, I am asking the Tánaiste to bring forward emergency cost-of-living payments

worst. It is a go-slow coalition that cannot even get the basics of governance done. Then there is the cost of living. People are hammered with price increases and rip-off bills but the Government refuses to help. It refused to bring forward a cost-of-living

society. The resources of the top 10% of asset owners and income earners mean they have only heard mere talk of a cost-of-living and housing crisis. It has never visited their door. We have a cohort of people where the idea of a cost-of-living

primary schools was €236 and €400 per student in post-primary schools. That is when we take the capitation and the cost-of-living aspects into account. This year, it is €224 per student at primary level versus €236 last year, while at secondary level … sense that there is a recognition from the Government in this regard. It needs to introduce a cost-of-living package for schools

blister packs to help manage their medication. We are also talking about people with disabilities who are under real pressure with the cost of living. The packs help them make sure they take the right dosage at the right time of day. The Government's decision means … these packs. This is a bad decision for the Government at any time but it made this cruel choice during a cost-of-living crisis when every euro is precious to people. It is like it cannot stop itself from making life harder for people. It hiked

respect of medicine and the cost of medicine, particularly the DPS threshold and other bespoke interventions also. More generally on cost-of-living measures, in the budget we took measures to support families who are on low incomes in particular. The ESRI's evaluation of the budget bears … real wages and incomes, they are growing at approximately 3% per annum this year and we have targeted measures effectively on the cost-of-living side to support those most in need. On phased dispensing, we will certainly look at any situation where there is potential hardship

already, as we speak there are people with disabilities protesting outside the gates of Leinster House because they are struggling with the cost of living. The hard reality is that in the budget the Government took away the supports that these individuals were relying on. People with disabilities … worse off. The Government stripped away the vital supports they depend on to deal with the spiralling cost-of-living crisis. Those are not my numbers but the Irish Wheelchair Association's numbers. The Government shamefully left vulnerable people high and dry. This has caused serious anger, worry

heating versus eating crisis. People with disabilities face impossible choices between warmth and food this winter. Despite acknowledging the extra cost of living with a disability, the Government has failed to act. The removal of one-off payments and the absence of a permanent cost-of-living disability

priority in the budget. It was a budget of €9.4 billion that left them worse off and did not even include a cost-of-living package. The CSO just reported on Monday that prices continue to rise and are rising faster now than in the past two years … drop something off the list. She had to sit them down and explain to those children that even Santa is feeling the cost-of-living crisis this year. Does the Taoiseach in any way understand the pressure that ordinary families the length and breadth of this State

this trend of rising energy costs, rising energy arrears and rising energy poverty, Government refused to include energy credits or a broader cost-of-living package in this year's budget. This decision flies in the face of the Government's national energy affordability task force. Its interim … continue to push these costs up in the months and years ahead. Whether the Minister wishes to acknowledge it or not, a cost-of-living crisis is happening. He needs to wake up to this reality, provide supports in the here and now, help people to get through

payments of an emergency winter energy credit of at least €500. Households, especially those with children, are under huge pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, which is pushing more and more families into poverty. There are already 630,000 people living below the poverty line … arrears on their gas bills, which is also an increase on last year. People with disabilities are particularly badly hit by this cost-of-living crisis, having lost out on about €1,400 in the recent budget. The measure of any society is how it treats its most

coming home. They wonder how they are going to find somewhere to live and how they are going to survive in a cost-of-living crisis when they come home - if they come home. A teacher contacted me just today. Schools in Dublin West have had to cancel … their own. The Government's developer-led policy, which hands hundreds of millions of euro to profitable developers, is sickening in a cost-of-living crisis. Sinn Féin will work with builders to build public houses on public land with public money. That is where the solution lies

People are being crucified as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. I have raised this with the Tánaiste time and again. Inflation is going back up and is eating away at workers' wages. It is leaving households struggling to make ends meet. Real wages declined

accept that cost-of-living pressures are real for people. This House regularly debates what the different policy proposals to address that should be. In my Department's projections, which are obviously provided independent of the political system, inflation was estimated to average 1.8% in the autumn forecasting

following year. This will assist borrowers who have seen large interest rate increases to offset the impact of the rising cost of living. It introduced mortgage interest relief for homeowners with an outstanding mortgage balance on their primary dwelling house of between

families in the months and year ahead after what has been a very constrained and pressurised time in relation to the cost of living. Regarding tax credits, I am learning in this job not to speculate on every potential measure. Lots of good ideas come up in this

higher inflation than his predecessor predicted prior to the budget, he will bring in an emergency supplementary budget before Christmas to reinstate cost-of-living payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69658/25

assessment relating to inflation for next year has not materially changed. That is important to say because I understand that the cost-of-living pressures faced by people are real. They see individual items of inflation and individual reports and they wonder what that means for the year

Environment if he will take any new measures to reduce or offset energy costs for households in light of the cost-of-living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72886/25

higher inflation than his predecessor predicted prior to the budget, he will bring in an emergency supplementary budget before Christmas to reinstate cost-of-living payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69658/25

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will bring in an emergency supplementary budget before Christmas in order that emergency winter cost-of-living payments can be made to disabled people and carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69657/25

senior citizens (over 70), as these limits have not been increased in years and are totally out of line with the cost of living crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72676/25

costs associated with blister packs, as the majority of senior citizens simply cannot afford this payment and are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72677/25

school year; the measures she is taking to support schools financially through the winter in the absence of a cost-of-living package this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71049/25

2025/2026 school year; the measures she is taking to support schools through the winter in the absence of a cost-of-living package this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70746/25

Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth given the rise in demand in mental-health needs, social isolation and cost-of-living pressures, if her Department plans to expand youth services, in terms of staff, geographical coverage, types of services such as mental-health support

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has considered altering tax rates on energy, electricity and fuel in light of the cost-of-living crisis being experienced by people in the State. [63789/25

financial position of disabled households after the withdrawal of once off supports including the electricity credits, fuel lump sums, disability cost-of-living payment and living alone lump sum; and if he will publish this analysis. [69175/25

policy and recent inflation trends, together with its long-term approach to carbon taxation in the context of price stability and cost-of-living pressures. [69317/25

adult on disability allowance living alone, taking account of the withdrawal of once off supports in Budget 2025 including the €400 disability cost-of-living payment, the €300 fuel lump sum, the €300 living alone lump sum, the €200 electricity credits and the double week bonuses

adult on disability allowance living alone, taking account of the withdrawal of once off supports in Budget 2025 including the €400 disability cost-of-living payment, the €300 fuel lump sum, the €300 living alone lump sum, the €200 electricity credits and the double week bonuses

restoring all once off supports paid to disabled people in 2025 for one further year, itemised by each support including the disability cost-of-living payment, the fuel lump sum, the living alone lump sum, electricity credits and double week bonuses. [69177/25

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to support people with disabilities with the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69340/25

Health if her Department has conducted any assessment of whether the current income thresholds for over-70s are aligned with the cost of living for that age group; and if she will provide details of any such assessment. [68709/25

emergency winter support for residents on disability allowance and similar schemes to offset the deficit created by the withdrawal of the 2025 cost of living measures. [67374/25