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

We all know that the cost of living is out of control, inflation is now almost 10% and prices right across the economy are soaring. On Friday Electric Ireland hiked its prices for the second time in just three months, adding a further €350 to the cost of gas and €164 to the cost of electricity. Other providers will undoubtedly follow suit. Families who are already struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table must also cope with the huge cost of back-to-school, which costs up to €1,500 per child. Where does the Tánaiste think those families will get the money for back-to-school, because it is not coming from the State?

The back-to-school allowance was actually more in 2007, 15 years ago, than it is now, which is really pathetic. Is it any wonder that last year almost one in four families went into debt to pay back-to-school costs? This year the figure is likely to be significantly higher than that because the Government is refusing to help. The Tánaiste and his Cabinet colleagues have acknowledged that ordinary workers and families are under immense pressure at the moment. They have also said that exceptional measures in addition to the budgetary measures would have to be taken to assist them. However, when he announced the summer economic statement yesterday, the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, said that once-off exceptional measures would not be announced until the September budget, which is three months away. That delay will guarantee one thing: more and more people who are barely scraping by at the moment will fall into poverty and debt.

Why is the Government waiting? Is it because it has run out of ideas or is it because of division within the Government? We know that there is disagreement in Government about whether it should introduce another universal electricity credit. Is it refusing to act now because of wrangling behind the scenes about the nature of the measures to be introduced? We heard much about listening to the experts during the Covid pandemic, but the budgetary advice the Government is getting now appears to have fallen on deaf ears over recent weeks. The Government is not listening to the experts such as the ESRI which has said that the Government has the capacity to introduce targeted measures now and critically they must be targeted at those families most in need.

It is truly unforgivable that the Government is about to swan off on its holidays when the Dáil goes into recess for two months in the knowledge that so many people are in dire need of assistance.

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