Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach and all senior Ministers have given a strong signal that the budget will be a cost-of-living budget. The Department of Social Protection is part of that, as are other Departments. The national retrofitting plan and one-stop shops are also up and running. We have put €2.4 billion of measures in place and those are worth reiterating. They include the €200 energy credit and an extra €125 for fuel allowance recipients. There is a further €100 special payment for fuel allowance recipients, cuts to VAT on gas and electricity between May and October, a 20% cut on public transport fares from the end of April, reduced caps for multiple children on the school transport fees and the more recent announcement on free school transport in the year ahead. Another good anti-poverty measure relates to the back to school clothing and footwear allowance and school meals. The Deputy made an interesting point about the refusals for fuel allowance. We would be wise to look at the reasons for refusal to see if they can be part of the considerations for budget 2023.

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