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

When I speak on issues relating to the cost of living, issues that Sinn Féin has been raising for a long time, I usually recall the real life stories and situations that are brought to my office and those of other Sinn Féin Deputies, but the Government knows all of this, or at least it tells us it knows it all. It tells us that it knows and understands, yet still it will not act. The Government amendment to the motion says it all. Of course, it says nothing new. The Government is still speaking about social welfare increases that were announced eight months ago even though those social welfare increases of €5 a week for most recipients came after two years of no increases at all while every weekly social welfare rate is set well below the poverty line.

The Government speaks about the fuel allowance, which is extremely limited. Workers cannot access it. There is almost an intention to push a line that fuel allowance is related to fuel poverty or supports households at risk of fuel poverty. As all present will be aware, there is no link between the fuel allowance and households that are in or at risk of fuel poverty. If a person is getting a certain payment, he or she gets the fuel allowance regardless of whether he or she lives in an A-rated house. It does not come into it. The fuel allowance needs serious reform. Eligibility needs to be widened. It is not the be all and end all when it comes to supporting workers who cannot access it in the first place.

The amendment goes on to state that there is a need for targeted measures. We know that 87% of the measures the Government has brought in this year have not been targeted and that is why the situation has worsened. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council told the Government that. It produced that figure of 80%.

The amendment refers to the possibility of damaging our international cost competitiveness. To stand back from it, what about the damage the Government is doing to households? What about the damage it is doing to children, the consequences of which will remain with many of them for the rest of their lives, and the damage it is doing to the most vulnerable citizens - citizens who live with a disability, lone parents and family carers - who are struggling every day? The Government response to them is that it does not wish to damage our international cost competitiveness. Its other response is that it will wait until October.

I welcome that changes have been made to the additional needs payment. Its name has been changed and there are new income limits and all of that is welcome but I again ask that it be moved online. Many people are not comfortable going to a community welfare officer within their local community. This facility should be online so that people can apply online, as is the case for many other social welfare payments.

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