Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We acknowledge that the current level of inflation is causing real problems for people in their day-to-day lives. We absolutely acknowledge that. When the budget was prepared last October, the forecast for inflation across this year was that it would average about 2.25%. It is now running, as the Deputy knows, at approximately 5% and it is much higher than that for some of the costs that people have to pay every day. That is particularly the case for domestic energy bills and the price at the pumps that the Deputy has rightly highlighted. That is placing cost pressures in particular on people who are regular road users, for whom alternatives may not be readily available.

As the Deputy knows, we are investing through Our Rural Future and local transport schemes to expand LocalLink services as part of the Connecting Ireland plan. There is a commitment to develop a grant-aided community transport service scheme through LocalLink. I am sure the Deputy will acknowledge that the plan we have brought forward for retrofitting will make a real difference for people. We acknowledge the pressures people are under. We think they will pass. We think the situation is temporary and will moderate over time but we cannot be certain at this stage as to when we will see a reduction in those prices.

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