Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

There is an emergency situation. The Minister and Government need to do much more than just looking at things. Families cannot wait until the budget in October. The Minister asked for ideas. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Age Action, the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, and other agencies like that have many ideas about things the Government could do now to relieve pressure on people on low and middle incomes. Will the Minister give a commitment to meet those agencies within the next week and hear from them, because they are at the coalface, what steps he could take now to relieve the pressure on so many families who are currently struggling.

On the cost-of-living measures, the vast bulk of them were not targeted, contrary to advice. Equally, the vast bulk of the funding the Government is providing for retrofitting is not targeted. It is available to people who can afford €26,000 upfront to get their homes retrofitted. It does not help people on low incomes who cannot afford upfront funding like that. It does not help those 7,000 people on the waiting list who will be waiting for umpteen months, if not years.

Will the Minister meet those groups? Will he give a commitment to do that within the next week?

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