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will have a severe impact on renters across the State. At a time when families are already crushed by a cost-of-living crisis, this Bill is not a reset; it is a surrender. The rent-hike Bill of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will allow vulture funds … unaffordable. The Government's duty is to protect citizens and not portfolios. Instead of cutting and freezing unaffordable rents, this Bill deliberately fuels the crisis. We must reject it entirely. We must defend existing protections and fight for a system where housing is a home and not just

know that the Bill is going to put fuel on the fire of spiralling rents and evictions. It is renters who will continue to suffer. I do not understand how the Government thinks, in a cost-of-living crisis, that rents should be allowed to rise further

most challenging hallmarks of this decade. So many people and families have been left in a deeply precarious situation following the inflation crisis of recent years. I want to use my limited time to focus on two significant areas of real cost pressure for people, which are food … other European countries. When we look at it, we see that the costs are largely a factor of the kind of fossil fuel that is used. In our case, that is gas. It was the main driver of Irish wholesale electricity costs shooting up in the aftermath

week, which is a 15% increase well ahead of inflation. For the first time, families receiving the working family payment qualify for the fuel allowance. This change will benefit an additional 43,000 households across the State. The formation of the energy affordability task force will ensure that … Utilities, CRU, has carried out extensive monitoring of the Irish retail energy market before, during and in the aftermath of the energy crisis, it found no evidence of market failure. Recent analysis by the International Energy Agency, IEA, and Nevin Economic Research Institute, NERI, has outlined the importance

move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — a cost-of-living crisis exists in this State; — Budget 2026 was predicated on an inflation rate of 2 per cent, but it is now at 3.2 per cent; — prices have increased by 23.5 per cent in the last five years; — food … food and energy companies; — appoint an agri-food regulator to tackle rip-off food costs; — introduce price control of food, electricity, gas and fuel costs; — implement a rent freeze; — implement a living wage; — benchmark social welfare increases to the minimum essential standard of living index; — introduce a weekly

energy transition is not happening, is it? A total of 80% of our energy comes from fossil fuels. It is not because ordinary people are not making efforts to make changes in their lives, put on solar panels and retrofit their houses and so on. The central reason … climate. It is causing ordinary people's bills to go higher and higher. It is adding to the cost-of-living crisis. This year, people's electricity bills will 10% higher than they were last year. Almost 300,000 people are in arrears on their electricity bills

health services, educational services and community infrastructure. It does not serve local communities because the longer a system drags on, the more it fuels frustration, misinformation and fear, and it creates an environment in which bad actors can exploit legitimate public concerns. This is not good for Ireland … consistent, fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure across the EU, not just in ordinary times but also in periods of migratory pressure and crisis. Ireland has opted in to key elements of the pact. That was the right decision because a common system across the EU ensures applicants

rents, not facilitating them to rise even further. Rents are already out of control and renters are drowning in a cost-of-living crisis. Yet, the Government's response is to tear up what little protection remains and hand a gift to big institutional investors. At the centre … whatever rent is demanded, no matter how extortionate. How are parents expected to absorb this on top of the food, fuel, fees and childcare for younger children? How many students will be priced out of education altogether? I move on to the figures for tenancies in County Mayo

Europe, at 38% above the EU average. Restaurant prices are 29% above average, we are the most expensive for electricity, gas and fuel, housing is 50% more expensive and childcare is 58% dearer than the EU average. We have the most expensive transport and public transport costs. Irish … union movement in this country to act on this issue. The unions' leadership has been completely silent as the massive cost-of-living crisis has engulfed workers. It is as though that crisis is finished. It is not finished. Just because the Government is no longer giving targeted

remove bureaucratic impediments to aid are at the heart of our diplomatic engagement. Ireland's response also recognises the impact of the crisis on neighbouring countries, particularly in welcoming refugees. As the Deputy is aware, last year, we provided €14.3 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people … through UN and EU channels. All parties must comply fully with their obligations and refrain from any actions that prolong the conflict and fuel further violence

meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I said that more problems would arise. Other EU countries were getting fuel subsidies at the time for their fleets; Irish fishermen did not get these because we did not apply. Why bother? It is one thing … affect both jobs and survival in coastal towns. When the Dáil held a marathon fisheries debate, I and multiple other TDs outlined the crisis in detail. The message was the same: the situation is at breaking point. We highlighted EU quota cuts, the pressure on the whitefish fleet

believe it is another way we can respond to the crisis in which we now find ourselves. Let us recap on that crisis and what has happened with Grok over the last number of months. An unsafe product, a nudification app, was unleashed on the market. That … societal impact of this. Not only is this a product of the misogynistic society we are in but it is something which also fuels it. We are seeing, for example, reports that younger female teachers in schools across Ireland are increasingly experiencing misogyny from their young students. This