Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have just two weeks left in this Dáil term, which is two weeks for the Government to intervene with measures to alleviate the enormous pressure the cost-of-living crisis is placing on households. Yesterday, the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputies Donohoe, and Michael McGrath, respectively, announced to great fanfare that budget 2023 will be brought forward to 27 September. This does not mean very much to workers and families who are at breaking point today, 5 July. A week is a long time for households when every euro counts. It is a very long time when one cannot afford to pay extortionate energy bills or put fuel in the car or food on the table. It beggars belief that people who will struggle to make it to the end of this week are being asked to wait another 13 weeks for help from the Government.

This lack of urgency is especially stressful for parents who face the most expensive back-to-school period for a generation. As the Tánaiste knows, children go back to school in late August, not at the end of September. Schoolbook lists have already arrived, Bus Éireann has sent out the reminder emails for the fees for school transport, the letters requesting voluntary contributions are on their way and school uniforms, sport and PE gear will have to be bought in the next few weeks. Parents will fork out a small fortune. Many will be forced into debt simply to get their children back to school. These are the households pressed to the brink. My office is inundated with calls from families that are at breaking point. I am sure the Tánaiste has received similar calls. These are calls from families who never thought that they would need support from the State or from charities, much less from food banks, in order to make it to the end of the week. They have no idea where they will find the money to get their children back to school in September. The budget on 27 September will be far too late for these families. They do not have the luxury of waiting another 13 weeks for the Government to show up. They need action now.

Tá teaghlaigh i ndeireadh na feide le costais scoile ag ardú as cuimse. Caithfidh an Rialtas dul i ngleic leis seo láithreach. Tá mé ag iarraidh ar an Rialtas síneadh ama a thabhairt maidir leis an liúntas éadaí agus coisbhirt don scoilbhliain nua, agus an liúntas sin a ardú, chun sos a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí atá faoi bhrú millteanach.

Sinn Féin will bring a motion before the Dáil tonight. The motion includes proposals that would ease the financial burden of back-to-school costs and give families a real break in the here and now. As part of these measures, we are asking the Government to act immediately to improve the back-to-school allowance in two ways. First, we are asking it to extend the allowance to middle-income households. These are the households that currently receive no State support but who are at the pin of their collar trying to make ends meet. Middle-income households must get the back-to-school allowance and the help it offers.

Second, for low-income families and for those on fixed incomes, we want the Government to increase the back-to-school allowance by 50% to help meet the soaring costs of getting children back to school.

These are very reasonable, sensible and necessary asks. There is an urgency now in all of this. If action is take in respect of these matters, it make a massive difference at what is a very tough time for so many families.

See this speech in context