Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister that the Government is targeting and its targets are ordinary workers and families and that is the problem. The Minister may shake his head but I will say this. Despite the fact that the cost of home heating oil has increased by over 50%, the Government’s decision is to increase it further on 1 May. Despite the fact that the cost of gas has gone up 28%, the Government will bump it up further on 1 May. That makes no sense and that suggests to me that the Government does not get it.

The Minister asks what the alternative is. To abandon the increase in the carbon tax in May would cost €32 million. The Minister and his Cabinet colleagues in government signed off on a cut in the bankers' levy to the tune of €63 million this year. That is where the alternative funding would be but that requires being on the right side of workers and families instead of being on the side of the bankers. The Minister can stand there and justify to me why the Government will take an additional €32 million out of the pockets of these families, which are already crucified by high energy and home heating costs and at the same time give double that amount of cuts to banks in this State. There are always options but the Government has to be on the right side and it has to get where people are at. After hearing what the Minister has said in the last four minutes I am convinced that he does not understand where people are at in the here and now. I ask him again to come forward with a package that deals with what the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the lone parents organisation and Social Justice Ireland are saying and meets the needs of so many people are struggling. The Government should stop making things worse.

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