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banks, while all its big election promises disappeared like snow off a ditch. The budget was written as though the cost-of-living crisis was a thing of the past, but at the very time it was announced, households heard that they face the biggest price squeeze … hikes in food prices, in their health insurance premiums, and instead of working to get costs down for households, the Government hiked up fuel prices, student fees and the local property tax. There is no end in sight. The Government knew all of this when it signed

Government to decide that it can take the money from them at a time of a cost-of-living crisis is outrageous. In-work poverty remains a serious problem in this State and the Government’s policy significantly contributes to this. There is an unacceptable risk that this … constituency of County Clare. People are working hard but are still struggling to pay their bills. Rents and mortgages, food and fuel prices and the cost of everything else are increasing constantly. In late summer, there are extra expenses relating to back-to-school costs. During the winter

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

preparation and an unwillingness to act on the part of the Government. We saw a dangerous inertia in the face of a crisis from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents. Instead of action, they sat on their hands while people were literally crying out for help. There … were going through. People should never have to take to the streets to force this Government to act like we saw during the fuel protests. However, that does not just happen; it takes people feeling like they have no other option. The truth is that trust has been

will know well that Sinn Féin has been calling for emergency measures to support workers and families experiencing an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. Sinn Féin supports the call for an emergency budget. We have been calling for this for some time, and it is welcome … what we believe needs to be done. The Government needs to cut the USC, put €500 back into workers' pockets, cut excise on fuels, introduce a €500 cost-of-disability emergency payment and a €400 social welfare payment, to include pensioners, and extend the fuel allowance

that income for families and individuals by up to €1,500 per annum. The budget will help with the cost of energy and fuel support for people with disabilities, lower childcare costs and increases right the way across social protection and pensions. At the same time, it will … programme for Government. Government is acutely aware of energy affordability pressures, which have been exacerbated by the Middle East crisis. Last week, as colleagues will know, I hosted the EU energy ministers as part of the Irish Presidency, at which energy affordability across the bloc

improvements to grants and so on, but what has also been revealed is a failure to understand the scale of the home energy crisis in Ireland in 2025. Mark my words, this is the thing that will drive people over the edge this winter. Here is the problem … that is still out of the reach of so many. I urge Government to take our advice. We have proposed further extending the fuel allowance to all of those on working family payments. There have been some moves in that direction today and we will look in detail

When this Government was formed just over 18 months ago, no one could have predicted the scale of the crisis unfolding in the Middle East, the disruption it would place on global energy markets and its impact on the cost of living in Ireland and across the world … stable Government became clear. This coalition must continue to provide certainty for households, protect our living standards and keep our economy on track. Fuel supports introduced to shield families and workers from surging prices at the pumps have been extended into the autumn. The focus must now turn

deal with this, not comprehensively but at least it is a contribution to people to take pressure off them in respect of rising fuel prices. We announced a package of over €750 million that has brought down the excise duty by about 32 cent on diesel … approved two very specific packages for the transport haulier sector, which is much more expanded than was the case during the Ukrainian energy crisis. These very substantial schemes will also help farmers, fishers and contractors. We must remember that about 240,000 workers are involved in the haulage

most horrific places to live in the world in a war that the UN has labelled as the worst humanitarian crisis. Reports from the UN and humanitarian organisations indicate that the RSF is effectively instrumentalising and manipulating humanitarian aid in an attempt to maintain control. The flow … possibly other countries, such as Russia and neighbouring countries. All of them must stop the flow of weapons that is escalating and adding fuel to the fire of this conflict. Whatever leverage Ireland has must be used. Ireland, the EU and the United States all have strong connections

onshore wind, offshore wind, electric vehicles, district heating and the use of biomethane, not to mention the impact of the new LNG fossil fuel terminals the Government is promoting and the data centres that are not required to use renewable energy. We are told all the time that … pull out all the stops with the new national development plan? Will it invest in the infrastructure we need to mitigate the climate crisis, including our water pipe network, which is so bad it is not able to ensure people have water right after a month of abnormally

Ireland have been dealing with issues like this for years and this is only one of many problems. There is also the accommodation crisis, apprentices being sent to the opposite side of the country for training who have little or no choice over their training centre, long waiting … expected to survive the first two years on low wages while trying to cope with the rising cost of living, rent, transport, fuel and everyday expenses. The reality is that many apprentices face challenges that people outside of the system never see and it is time these issues

grant was €400 previously. It has been removed, meaning a loss of €400. The living alone allowance saw a loss of €200. The fuel allowance saw a loss of €160. The October double payment saw a loss of €254. The loss of the electricity credit was another loss … powerful briefing in the audiovisual room yesterday, where we heard from all these organisations and from disabled people about the extreme crisis that they were in. One woman said her life was a balancing act between heating her home or feeding her children. Another disabled woman spoke about

people of County Mayo and the rest of the country are desperate in terms of the costs of fuel. This Government has acted with complete impunity when it comes to accountability. First, it blamed the protesters. Then it blamed the media for covering the protesters and threatened … dependency that it created. That is a fact. It is time that this Government accepted accountability, not just for the mishandling of the crisis but also for the situation in which we find ourselves in terms of our energy reliance. The fact is that the infrastructure for renewable

issues that has come to the fore from the fuel protest and so on, is that enormous taxes are being taken from fuel throughout the country by the Government. It has reached the point of being absolutely unacceptable. I agree with the suggestion that relief should be given … represent. I refer particularly to pensioners and those on low pay who are feeling the squeeze because of the cost-of-living crisis. We have to ensure there is some benefit for those people in whatever action we take. I think all who have spoken in this debate

sure as the kids go back to school, there is a school bus crisis. It is incredible that there is a crisis every single year. Every TD in this House has been chasing their tail and chasing around the country to find solutions in individual cases … people into public transport and it is using a stick to do so. In this regard, there was €4.1 billion charged in fuel taxes last year and €1 billion in carbon tax. It is not that people do not want to use public transport. People are dying

highest in Europe and fuel costs are also among the highest in Europe. This Government took in €4 billion last year in fuel tax, which is driving up the cost of living. Now it seeks to drive up the cost of living more on these wonderful students. What … send their students to Dublin, Galway or Cork? These families are already suffering, largely due to this Government, in respect of the housing crisis. I know families and I am sure the students in the Gallery will agree that students are moving out of their accommodation

have to step up. Instead of fixing the structural issues, the Bill doubles down on the same approach locking us further into fossil fuel dependency and charging the public. It is a fundamental breach of trust and families and workers are already struggling under the weight … decisions that affect them so profoundly. We are also insisting on honesty about what is driving the energy crisis. Our amendments will require an independent assessment of the impact of data centres on energy demand and an analysis of whether this demand is driving the need for this

reality that has to be taken on board by any responsible government. We have no intention of being reckless or irresponsible with this crisis. We want to be flexible and to give supports to people. Every government is limited as to what it can do in situations like … sustainable haulage industry into the future to underpin what is a very strong exporting economy. That is the targeted nature of this. The fuel allowance has been extended for four weeks, which will take us up to 1 May. I think any reasonable person would say that

Irish Government. I read yesterday that he said when Sinn Féin in government is going to introduce measures to alleviate the cost of fuel in Northern Ireland, they will be targeted at those in most need. Similarly, this will be the case here. They will be targeted measures … constant measure to ensure the considerable expenses being met from the carbon tax continue. One thing for certain is that what the oil crisis reveals to us is that we need to ensure we reduce and, hopefully, end our dependency on Middle Eastern oil. The only

overdraft. People are working all the hours they can get, yet they are struggling to keep the lights on and pay for fuel to commute to work. We had a warning from the Central Bank last night that inflation is about to get worse. Gabriel Makhlouf said global … spreading across all sectors - retail, services, industry, construction. All this has pushed mortgage rates up in recent weeks. Despite all this, despite the crisis families are in, at midnight on 31 July, away from the political spotlight, when Dáil Members are sunning themselves on holiday

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

people when the ESB bill or the gas bill comes through their letter boxes. Electricity prices are 70% higher than they were pre crisis. Gas prices are 100% higher. That is double where they were. This has real consequences for people's energy bills and heating their homes … providing for a cost-saving package for energy costs and by increasing costs through the carbon tax for people who rely on solid fuel home heating and who have to drive their cars to places, it means that all those families all over this State are actually going

student fees will cost €350 more next year than they were last year. This is gaslighting. Government is gaslighting people getting the fuel allowance by saying they will get more this year, when it has cut back on the number of weeks the scheme is open, meaning they … when 1.5 million ordinary workers will be only €200 better off. That is a measly fiver a week during a cost-of-living crisis. That is gaslighting. It is probably the only gas being lit this year because of the increase in prices. Ordinary workers and families will

their health and quality of life. We in Independent Ireland have consistently argued that when energy companies make exceptional windfall profits during a crisis, those gains should be returned to the people struggling to pay their bills. Ireland has used a windfall contribution and a market revenue … taxes imposed by the State itself. If the Government is serious about reducing energy costs, it must look at the carbon tax and fuel taxes as well. We are talking here about solar energy and that should be the way to go. A family relying on solar energy