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needs to get our housing stock in order at the same time. We need to ramp up renovations, particularly for those living in food poverty. Energy costs for householders have spiked and the crisis in the Middle East, coming on the tail of the Ukraine war, shows that … more comfortable and help us meet our climate goals as well. Without a plan, too many households will face a choice of food or heat this winter. As new weather records are set across Europe, the Government has an opportunity to act on both climate and household costs

able to pay the basic bills. In my constituency to respond and support families struggling with back-to-school costs, the Finglas voluntary food and family support service, Feed Our Homeless, last year organised help for families with a pop-up shop for school uniforms and shoes. This … same as what it has given in tax breaks to developers, investor funds and large fast-food giants. Childhoods pass quickly. No child should have their future limited by poverty. Every child deserves a fair start in life and a chance to thrive. Child poverty is not inevitable

rotting in the ground because farmers do not have fuel to deliver it to the towns and cities. The urban people are suffering food deprivation. Hospitals cannot function due to lack of electricity either. The entire island is asphyxiated. There is no public transport. Sanitation is compromised, disease … everywhere and fresh water is hardly available. Their economy is completely compromised as most hotels are closed, causing even more unemployment and poverty. My heart breaks for the Cuban people when I see the reality of what is happening to them. I realise it is probably unique

point in everybody coming into this Chamber during the winter months to talk about this at a time when parents cannot put food on the table or heat their homes. When that happens, everybody cries out and says, "Oh my god. Isn't that terrible". We told … this would happen. It is not only that we are telling him it is happening; statistics constantly show that people are falling into poverty because of the political choices being made. This is on the Government. Rents and the housing crisis are getting worse. That is a direct

then €600 and now, potentially, €400 to people in homes. I have often come in here and lambasted the fact that we monetise poverty and oppression too often in this State. We transfer a huge amount of money to private operators who open up accommodation in office blocks … this payment. We understand the cost of living. People in this country are struggling to pay their ESB bills and to put food on the table. To reduce that fee by another €200 means we are simply expecting people to continue having people from Ukraine living in their

motion to the floor of the Dáil. One line from his contribution this morning is at the nub of everything, where he said, "Poverty should never determine potential." That is the key component of this motion. What is happening to many families throughout this country is nothing short … bill or buying a tablet their child must have in order to participate in class. Parents who are already struggling with rising rents, food prices and energy costs are now being told that, without a laptop, their child will fall behind. It is shameful that the State