Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last year, Sinn Féin launched its online survey about the impact the increase in the cost of living was having on people's lives. Some 76% of people who responded to our survey said they were very concerned about the impact while 95% said they believed the Government was not doing enough.

We have heard that the Government intends to take €100 off electricity bills in March at some stage. While anything that takes some pressure off people is welcome, the Government needs to do much more than this to address the plight so many households are facing as energy bills and the general cost of living soar. In reality, those who are suffering as a result of the huge increase in the cost of living need more than the €100 that will go into the pockets of providers. These same families face hikes of €1,300 this year on their energy bills. Because the Government refused Sinn Féin's attempt to get this legislation through the Dáil before Christmas, people in dire straits will have to wait until March to see the small difference this will make. Imagine the debts some people will have no choice but to run up between now and then.

I am aware of a single parent who wants to improve her job prospects after a spell of illness by signing up to a master's degree. She has been told she does not qualify for the back to education allowance and that she will have her jobseeker's allowance taken away from her unless she packs in her education immediately. She has a 15-year-old son who is relying on her and yet she is being blocked from engaging in education to improve their lives. She now has a decision to make on whether to give up her education, as the State is advising her to do, or face head-on the obstacles this Government is putting in her way.

Another family, again, a single parent and her daughter, are living at home with the mother's ex-husband. She cannot afford to get a place of her own and has been denied the housing assistance payment, HAP, because she exceeded the limit by a couple of hundred euro. They are stuck in a situation they do not want to be in but are confined because of the cost of living and the unavailability of affordable and adequate housing. These are some of the people who are not being given a chance.

In a major research project last year, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul found that nearly 20% of working people had cut back on fuel and electricity due to costs. This Government is out of touch and has abandoned people on this issue. The costs of childcare, putting food on the table, meeting rent, finding a place to live and getting to and from work are rising.

In government, Sinn Féin will expand the eligibility for the fuel allowance. We will establish a discretionary fund which will assist households with heating and electricity costs, especially those who find themselves struggling with debt this winter season. We will set up State-run childcare, reducing fees for the parents by two thirds while delivering social and affordable homes. We will ban rent increases for three years and cut rents by putting one month's rent back in people's pockets. This Government has no vision that puts people's quality of life first. It has failed on every count and believes that €100 will resolve all ills. This Government is wrong and it does not care.

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