Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of the ever-increasing cost of living that the Irish people are enduring. We are now, thankfully, starting to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and society and workplaces are reopening. The past two years have been very tough for everybody. Many people lost their jobs. Others saw their businesses close. Many also lost friends and family members to the dreadful pandemic. Now, just as we are starting to emerge from lockdown, the people are faced with new challenges.

The cost of living, as the Taoiseach knows, is rising at an alarming rate. The rising costs are affecting all businesses in the country, large and small. I have spoken to many business owners about these challenges. A local joinery company explained to me that this time last year, its core product, a sheet material, was costing approximately €28 per sheet. Today, the cost is over €70 for the same sheet. To put that in context, the company would purchase an average of 50 of those sheets per week. This means that the cost has risen by more than €100,000 in one year. On top of that, the company's diesel bill has increased by more than €250 per week. The core costs for that business have increased by over €120,000 in the past year. Another business owner explained to me that their electricity bill has risen from €25,000 per month to €45,000 per month. These two examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Every business in the country is faced with these challenges.

In the Border region, particularly around my home town of Dundalk, local businesses are facing even greater challenges. It is becoming clear that the introduction of minimum alcohol pricing is going to have a devastating effect on local businesses in towns such as Dundalk. I support minimum unit pricing for alcohol. However, I stated all along that we must introduce it at the same time it is introduced in the North. People are travelling in their thousands to buy cheap alcohol in the North. This is going to be a massive drain on the local economy because, as the Taoiseach knows, when such people travel to the North to purchase cheap alcohol, they also buy other items, such as groceries, coffee or clothes.

The same is happening with regard to heating fuels such as coal. Coal is nearly half the price in the North that it is here so people are travelling there to buy it. Businesses along the Border can no longer compete with their Northern counterparts. The introduction of the carbon tax at this stage is not helping.

I will also speak to the cost of utility bills. People in Ireland like to do budgets but some utility companies are only billing people twice a year. People have arranged for a standing order of €130 per month, or whatever it is, and all of a sudden, four or five months down the road, they are getting bills of €1,000, €1,500 or €2,000. This has to stop. We must start pushing the utility companies to do a minimum of six meter readings per year.

People in the Border area are looking for help. I appreciate the €200 payment towards the cost of electricity bills. However, that is only a small item. I would appreciate a reply.

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