Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I accept it can be a difficult argument to make but it is important. The reason cost-of-living measures are not merited in the way we had them in the past is that, even though I accept that many people still find it hard to get by, inflation - the rate of price growth - is a fraction of what it was in recent years. When the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and I brought in the various measures in the two previous budgets, inflation was between 5% to well above 10%. It will now be around 2%, I believe. Bringing in those measures when inflation is so low would be the wrong thing to do. We would end up paying for that out of the tax receipts that lots of people in this committee have warned me might not be sustainable in the future. That is why this argument has to be made. There will be and have already been measures this year to try to help with the cost of living, for example, schoolbooks, VAT on gas and electricity, and permanent social welfare increases that took effect from January. They have all been brought in to help with the cost-of-living challenges we know households face.