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cost-of-living crisis in Ireland can no longer be considered a transient hardship. For much of our population, it has become an entrenched form of social injustice with a vast array of adverse outcomes, both short-term and potentially far-reaching for the many people caught … luxuries. Ensuring transparency around pricing is a small test of whether we are serious about economic justice and addressing the cost-of-living crisis. Grocery giants cannot conduct their accounting in the shadows while families fall deeper into stress in a cost-of-living crisis that is being

recent days, the Chamber has spoken about the cost of living and how it affects education. To provide the bigger picture of what the cost of living for families is at present, if we look at it through the lens of education, which in my opinion … there will be another €1,000 for third level fees, I cannot compute how the Government does not see there is a cost-of-living crisis or how increasing the fees will put pressure on families. I said last night in the Chamber that John Dewey said, "Education

hard, yet they have very little to show for it. Approximately 70% of people said that they were concerned about the cost of living. Almost 20% of families have had to cut back on heating costs in the past six months, according to research from Barnardos … impact of the rising cost of living. Two in five people say that they are going without other essentials, including food and medical appointments. The Government has ruled out any meaningful cost-of-living support but there is no surprise there given that there is no election this

appreciate the Deputy's questions. We are under no illusions about the impact of the cost of living on families and people. The reality is there was an excessive inflationary spiral coming out of Covid and as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the consequential … increase in energy prices. That did impact and that is why there were exceptional once-off cost-of-living packages in addition to budgetary measures in recent years. We are probably the only European Union country that was in a position to do the level of once

students are still waiting for basic SUSI grant reform. The Minister says to students that the €1,000 reduction was a cost-of-living measure. I invite the Minister, when he makes his remarks, to look up at the students in the Public Gallery and ask them … their or their parents' cost-of-living crisis is over. He should ask these young people and their families if they can wait for months on end to find out what fees they will be paying next semester. They cannot wait. People are on low incomes. The working

This, of course, is not solely an issue of fees. The background is one of significantly increased rents and the significantly increased cost of living. The new rent regime introduced recently by the Minister throws students under the bus. Students have now no rent protection whatsoever. The Minister … case. We have to remember that private rents for students in the past five years have increased by 92%. The cost of living is also in the background. Other speakers have gone through that. Grocery prices are up three times the level of inflation and insurance and transport

Government plan to hike fees by 50% or €1,000 in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis represents a betrayal of the students up in the Gallery, whom I welcome, and their parents. I am sure they will not forget this. Tá géarchéim costais mhaireachtála uafásach … againn in Éirinn faoi láthair. Tá daoine ag fulaingt agus faoi bhrú mór. The cost-of-living crisis is raging and, instead of helping the students and their parents, the Government is adding fuel to the fire. The hike proposed nine days ago sent real fear throughout households

what he has done but people's lived experience is that not enough is being done. The Government has ruled out a cost-of-living package in this year's budget. It is the wrong approach. The Government has done other things the Tánaiste did not mention … roof. This Government is impotent in the face of that. People are struggling. I am asking the Government again for a cost-of-living package that will support families and workers right throughout this State in the middle of this cost-of-living crisis. It is what

embedded because it gives us the police force we have. The Government is very conscious of price increases and the cost of living more generally. Even though inflation has fallen and is down to 2%, the bottom line is that the elevated level of inflation, arising … households and businesses. The Think-tank for Action on Social Change, TASC, published its annual report today. It found that the temporary cost-of-living supports such as the pandemic unemployment payment, energy credits and lump-sum welfare payments played a critical role in reducing poverty risk among

year the capitation payment to primary schools is €200 but it is to increase from this September to €224. However, because of cost-of-living increases announced in the budget last year primary schools received an extra €36 per student in the 2024-2025 school year. Consequently … real terms the capitation grant for the 2024-2025 year, including the cost-of-living allowance per pupil, was €236, whereas in the coming year it will be €224. While the core grant has certainly increased by 12% and that is welcome, without the cost-of-living provision

addressed. This issue may have been flagged for years. Maybe the Minister will address that. In this instance, this is a cost-of-living measure because the Government is attacking those people who often cannot afford it. Someone owning their own home does not necessarily mean they have … huge increase for those people, especially for those who do not have additional funds or have already been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis. The cost of fuel and food is substantially increasing, as is basically the cost of living in every way. The cost

lies our issue with the Bill. We agree that working families in average family homes who are already being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis should be saved from very large hikes in their local property taxes as a consequence of rising property prices. We absolutely … yield from those with abundant resources to give working people a break, whether by using the resources we have to reduce the cost of living and invest more in public services or, over time, reduce the proportion of tax that working people pay. A second and equally important

That is a basic fault and problem with the property tax at the moment. The other element in this is that the cost-of-living crisis is really hurting families at the moment. We have not had a proper debate about the cost-of-living crisis since … Last year the Government took in €4.1 billion in fuel taxes, the highest fuel tax take ever in the jaws of a cost-of-living crisis, which is incredible. Normally the instinct would be to reduce the fuel taxes when people are hurting so much. Carbon taxes

this unjust and unnecessary local property tax. The Bill proposes to increase charges on the vast majority of households despite the cost-of-living crisis. We have also been told there will be no more cost-of-living supports despite food prices, food inflation and everything else rising … timed to try to force people to pay this tax, especially as we are entering such an uncertain period and when the cost of living is so high. All the people we are talking about have their own houses. They pay everything and never shirk their responsibilities. They

making a real difference to children in poverty, but we have to do more. We have had a series of cost-of-living packages but we need something better than cost-of-living packages on an annual basis. Unlike any other government in Europe, we have been … position to bring in those kinds of cost-of-living packages, but we need a sustained, targeted child poverty initiative, which I am working on with the child poverty unit in my Department to prepare for the forthcoming budget

introduce new legislation. This Bill is not just about sustainability; it also aims to enhance consumer protection and reduce the cost of living. I hope the Government will allow it a swift passage through the House. I hope the Government sees the extreme pressure that people are under … that this encourages the Government to introduce important measures to reduce costs for households in the current cost-of-living crisis. This Bill creates a repairability index for common consumer goods such as laptops, washing machines and lawnmowers. It allows consumers to understand the ease with which

cost of living continues to bite hard on working people. Ordinary households are finding it very difficult to keep up with the never-ending barrage of rip-off bills, yet the Government seems oblivious to the pressure people are under. It seems content to sit on its hands … Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform had all ruled out a specific cost-of-living package in advance of the budget. This position was repeated by one of his Fianna Fáil colleagues on the radio yesterday. Hardworking people

member states of the EU has provided as much as this Government and the previous one did in terms of cost-of-living supports. Quite exceptional once-off contributions were made, quite apart from the other significant provision we made within the mainstream elements of the budget. Over … shock did have a significant impact on households, people and SMEs, so significant fiscal support was provided by the Government in specific cost-of-living measures that were temporary but also in taxation reductions in the past budget that will take effect this year, as well as other

having a disability. As part of last year's budget, significant supports for people with disabilities were introduced, including: an October 2024 cost-of-living bonus for people in receipt of a long-term weekly social welfare payment; a €400 cost-of-living lump sum payment for people … receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension or blind pension in November 2024; a €200 cost-of-living lump sum payment to people who are getting a living alone allowance in November 2024; and a €12 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments from January

careful about not ruling things out. Prior to these announcements, the Minister for Finance said that there will not be the same cost-of-living measures in this year's budget. As a party, we have been critical that over the last few years, the cost-of-living … remove them. We urge that they become more targeted measures. For those Irish consumers who will face into increasing danger of poverty, cost-of-living measures have to be considered in the coming months in the run-up to the budget. The economic emphasis of the country also

abated compared to what we experienced from 2021 through 2023, it simply would not be correct to say that Ireland's cost-of-living crisis has gone away, as I am sure we all agree. Lower inflation rates do not mean prices are falling; they just mean prices … this. One of them is the chronic unwillingness on the part of previous Governments to make necessary investments to bring down the cost of living, including for key public services. Whether it is housing, healthcare, transport, childcare or education, people have for far too long been dealing with

struggling to keep the light and heat on, and to pay their bills in the middle of one of the worst cost-of-living crises in the history of the State. That is not just me saying it or Sinn Féin saying it. Just this week, the ESRI … said that low-income households had to make high-risk changes to their finances to cope with the cost-of-living crisis. People are taking on more debt. They are using up whatever savings they have. They are cutting back on essentials like food, clothes and energy because

indeed commit to reducing the student contribution in a financially sustainable manner over the lifetime of the Government. As part of the cost-of-living packages over the last three budgets the student contribution was reduced by €1,000 per annum on a temporary basis … cost of circa €99 million per annum. These measures were in response to particular cost-of-living challenges arising at the time and were not intended to be a permanent solution. It is worth extrapolating the figures in totality. A €1,000 reduction of the type

answer. While he detailed many different economic terms, I am not hearing about the real day-to-day experience of people whose cost-of-living challenges are forcing them to choose between heat and food, to make very difficult decisions and to live with the stress of these … enforced in budget 2026 in order that these measures will not just be measured against an economic outlook but also against the cost of living that households experience day to day? The Minister talked about electricity credits. In the wake of Storm Éowyn, it seems clear that

Minister update the House on how public expenditure within budget 2027 will impact on workers and families struggling with the cost of living? I noticed that he used the term "a better State". I like that term but I hope it is something we can achieve. I know … topic. I am concerned it will not be if everyone is struggling with the cost of living, as they

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

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Transport the plans for the €2 fare which was introduced as a cost-of-living measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51496/25

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will abolish public transport fares as a cost of living, air quality and climate action measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51850/25

Protection if he will review the income thresholds for single occupancy households applying for the fuel allowance, in view of the increased cost of living and the fact that two-person households benefit from a higher threshold; and if he will consider raising the income limits for single

income threshold/means test for persons applying for a medical card aged over 70 years old, to keep in line with the rising cost of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51214/25

Minister for Health if she will consider raising the income threshold for medical card eligibility due to the increase in the cost of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51397/25

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will support increasing the national minimum wage to €17 per hour to address the cost of living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50126/25

Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will support a substantial increase in the national minimum wage in 2026 to address the cost of living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50125/25

used to determine the proposed increase in the national minimum wage for Budget 2026; whether the increase is sufficient to meet current cost-of-living pressures in housing, energy and food; if further adjustments are planned before the finalisation the Budget 2026; and if he will make

nationalisation of electricity and gas supply to ensure affordability and security for households, given many people can no longer cope with rising cost-of-living and energy bills. [49378/25

actions he plans to take in order to address concerns that social welfare payments are not moving in tandem with the rising cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48170/25

Protection the position regarding any Departmental review of the existing rate of payment under the living alone allowance to reflect the increased cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48307/25

with those over 25, in light of recent polling showing that three in five young adults are considering emigration due to the cost-of-living crisis. [48781/25

Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider retaining the €1,000 college-fee reduction introduced as part of the cost-of-living measures, in light of the ongoing financial pressures facing families due to the high cost of food, utilities and housing

Gaeltacht to list all awards under the community and voluntary energy support scheme and any other once-off DRCD energy cost-of-living supports paid to organisations in County Carlow and County Kilkenny showing recipient, location, amount approved, and amount paid; with totals per county from

income families, if he will commit to indexing core social welfare schemes and supports in Budget 2026, to protect against further cost-of-living erosion. [46808/25

foster carers allowance took place; the steps her Department have taken to review the foster carers allowance with regard to the increased cost- of- living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46889/25

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Finance the measures being put in place to address the cost of living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41660/25

Clendennen asked the Minister for Finance for an update on the current rate of food inflation; the impact of this on the cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44085/25

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will benchmark SUSI grants and reckonable income levels against the cost of living, include the SUSI maintenance support for part-time students, and enable those in receipt of SUSI to receive financial support for repeat exams

Balbriggan and that this increase in fares is serving to heap further costs on hard pressed commuters in the middle of a cost of living crisis; if he will review this decision and allow Skerries and Balbriggan into the same zone as the rest of Dublin

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department paid towards cost of living allowance and local post allowance to his Departmental officials posted at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC and to each consulate general office based within

acknowledges the financial hardship faced by many of these retired individuals, whose occupational pensions are not sufficient to meet the rising cost of living, healthcare, home maintenance, and essential services; if he will provide a rationale for continuing to deny State pension access to those who contributed

Protection if he will consider increasing the income thresholds for State pension (non-contributory) in light of the significant increase in the cost of living in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39326/25