Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

To listen to the Government speak about the cost-of-living crisis, we would swear it was an act of God and it did not have any hand, act or part in it itself. The reality is it is adding to the cost-of-living crisis by increasing carbon tax on home heating oil on 1 May and taxes on auto fuel on 12 October. The €200 credit on electricity bills will be severely eaten into and in some cases wiped out by these increases. Where will the money go? The Government states more than 50% is going on retrofitting. However those in rented accommodation will not be able to avail of the retrofitting grants. Neither will people in council accommodation and neither will those who cannot get their hands on €10,000 or more to match the State grants. We say "No" to the carbon tax increases. We also say "No" to the carbon tax. We are in favour of a polluters tax. We are in favour of a tax on the big business carbon polluters. Over the past 30 years, 71% of all carbon emissions in the world can be traced back to 100 large corporations. They are the people who need to be gone after.

It is like the cost-of-living crisis is an act of God. There is profiteering going on in front of our eyes. When it was last recorded, Musgrave, the owner of Centra and SuperValu, had €98 million in profits. Is anyone seriously telling me there is not an opportunity being taken to increase prices? What about landlords? There are increases of 10% year on year, as shown in the fourth quarter last year.

This is in a situation where workers have no alternative but to act. They cannot rely on the Government. It is part of the problem and not part of the solution. Workers need to rely on their own power. They need to organise and submit wage claims. Those wage claims need to be in double digits. Workers need to ballot for industrial action. They need to set a deadline, perhaps 1 May. If employers settle by that time, well and good. If they do not, there should be strikes that are co-ordinated across industries and across the economy with full support. They deserve and need full support from their unions. At this stage this is a necessary step for working people to combat this cost-of-living crisis.

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