Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is one part of the Minister's statement I agree with. I am glad she pointed out the notorious failure of the British state to look after the citizens of the North it has ruled for 100 years. The Minister makes a powerful case for a united Ireland.

Workers and families are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, despite what the Minister said over the past ten minutes. I ask every Member to support the motion. There is no doubt people are struggling to pay their bills and are at the pin of their collar. There is no doubt we need a spring bonus for pensioners, workers, families, those on social welfare payments with disabilities, carers and lone parents. Our citizens are dealing with record fuel bills and rents. Some renters are paying 30%, 40% or 50% of their income. The Minister and I, as well as everybody else, know that is totally unsustainable.

Mortgage interest rates have increased for some people by more than 7% and the Government rejected a proposal from Sinn Féin last week to help them out. It chose not to fully protect people on lower and fixed incomes in the budget. Social welfare payments were cut in real terms due to inflation.

We can end poverty. It takes a political choice, one which this Government has so far failed to take. A study several years ago by the Irish Heart Foundation found poverty directly leads to early deaths. The evidence is overwhelming. Poverty and pressures on income lead to people making decisions on their healthcare, the healthcare of their children or their bills. They have to make decisions on whether to feed the family or go to the doctor. The working poor make that choice every day. People who get up to work every day make that choice.

A study in Dublin West in the Blakestown district electoral division, DED, which covers Ongar to Mulhuddart and Tyrrelstown, shows someone is three times more likely to die of cancer in that area than in the Castleknock area, and twice as likely to die of any other illness. I suspect those statistics have worsened in recent years.

It is about choices. The money is there. We expect another Exchequer surplus of more than €6 billion. Measures that would help people include a spring bonus for social welfare recipients, which Sinn Féin is calling for. It would cost €316 million. Despite the Minister's statement - she obviously did not read ours - a discretionary fund for households experiencing utility debt would cost €15 million. There are other things but I will leave it at that because I do not want to take time from my comrades.

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