Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann: recognises that:

— food prices are continuing to rise, with groceries expected to cost €780 more over the next 12 months;

— new research has found that 62 per cent of people feel they will have to cut back on food spending over the coming year; and

— Sinn Féin have proposed a suite of solutions that would provide badly needed relief to households, to include:

— putting a month's rent back into renters' pockets;

— reducing childcare fees by two-thirds;

— increasing the minimum wage and social welfare rates;

— establishing a discretionary fund to assist households with utility debt;

— relaxing the rules around Exceptional Needs Payments; and

— re-introducing walk-in access to Community Welfare Officers;

notes, with increasing concern, that the rising price of food and groceries is forcing many families to go without and is evidenced by the steep increase in the number and range of families now seeking assistance from food banks;

acknowledges that:

— some of the drivers of rising prices are outside of this Government's control, but the actions necessary to protect people from its worst effects and to ensure the outworkings of international factors are experienced fairly and without avoidable hardship are within this Government's gift; and

— the Government cannot protect everybody from every price increase, but they can and should do more; and

calls on the Government to introduce a cost of living cash payment of €200 for every adult with an income less than €30,000 and €100 for every adult with an income between €30,000 and €60,000.

"Almost two-thirds of people to cut back on food spending over the cost of living crisis". "Working families skipping meals as demand increases at food banks". "Food shopping drops as grocery inflation reaches nine-year peak". "62% cutting food spending as prices rise". "'People putting rent ahead of grocery spend' as 350,000 impacted by food poverty". "Almost one in five people living in poverty amid cost of living crisis". These are just some of the headlines that we have seen over just the past four days. This is Ireland of 2022. We are one of the richest countries on the planet, yet families, workers and others are cutting back on eating. We have to sit back for a second and think about the implications of that. Households, families and workers who are paying their taxes are getting up in the morning and choosing to go without. They have no choice but to cut down daily and weekly on eating. That we have reached such a point in this day and age is a great shame.

Research published today by Kantar shows that households are cutting back on the amount of food they are buying. Grocery inflation is at its highest level in almost nine years. Prices in supermarkets have risen by 5.5% in the past 12 months, the largest increase since August 2013. Coinciding with this is a fall in take-home grocery sales of 6.5% in the past 12 weeks. This shows that people are already cutting back, and the situation is due to get worse as inflation continues. These figures reflect data from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, which show that staples like milk, bread and cheese have increased in price in the past year.

An organiser of a food bank in Dublin today stated that the food bank was seeing record demand, having doubled in recent weeks alone, and that full-time workers were skipping meals and visiting food banks. Research from Permanent TSB shows that more than 60% of people feel that they will have to cut back spending on food in the coming year due to the cost of living crisis. CSO data show that groceries will cost an extra €708 over the next year. This is on top of increases in the cost of diesel, petrol, electricity, oil, gas, childcare and rent. The list goes on.

This State has a real poverty problem, and it is one that is growing. Recent survey on income and living conditions, SILC, data published by the CSO this month showed an increase across the board, with levels of consistent poverty, at risk of poverty and deprivation having increased for those aged over 65 years and for those with disabilities. These are alarming increases. Deprivation levels have increased to 44% among long-parent families, who already experience sustained consistent poverty rates. Yesterday, a report from Social Justice Ireland showed that almost 1 million people were living in poverty. It is incredible and shameful to think that we are in this situation.

The Minister of State will talk about the budget of eight months ago and so on, but no matter what the Government says, not enough has been done. Where we in Sinn Féin have been able to, we have welcomed what has been done so far, but this motion seeks a cost of living cash payment. We need to put money into people’s pockets as quickly as possible. I hope that the Government will be able to support the motion.

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