Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister outlined, the summer economic statement is an important part of the budgetary process. It gives us the context ahead of the budget. Over the last two years our conversations at this time have been around Covid and the impact of the pandemic. Before that, the uncertainty surrounding Brexit dominated our conversations whereas this year the focus has shifted to record inflation. However, as we discuss the parameters for the upcoming budget, households across the State are also discussing financial matters and budgets. These budgets are their household budgets; they are talking money or more accurately they are discussing the lack thereof. Households are watching as the Dáil rises tonight and as we leave this Chamber until mid-September. Workers and families watch on in horror as they realise that there will be no further measures from the Government until the Dáil comes back from recess.

We have been clear over the last number of weeks that what people needed before we got to this point, the last day of the Dáil session, was an emergency budget, to get them through this time. We brought forward proposals but these fell on deaf ears, except for last week. I laughed when the Taoiseach said that our motion of no confidence was a cynical move because I have seen many a cynical move from the Government. After weeks of the Taoiseach and various Ministers saying that they would not move and would not provide additional supports, at the final hour before our motion was to be tabled, the Government made the most cynical move and announced additional back-to-school supports. While that was welcome, it would have been better to have listened to and supported our measures, which would have included an additional 500,000 children in the back-to-school supports, but at least the Government acted on this occasion.

It is unfortunate that the Government has not acted on rents, which continue to increase, with families are pushed into homelessness and more than 3,000 children in emergency accommodation under its watch. It is also unfortunate that the Government did not act on home heating oil as people in the west rely more heavily on oil than other forms of heating. That is not because they want to but because they have no other choice. It is equally unfortunate that the Government did not listen to the whole suite of proposals that my party colleagues and I put forward over the last number of months. While we have one eye on the gate, people will continue to struggle and wonder how they will make ends meet because the Government failed to act adequately to support them

Insín do na hAirí, agus muid inniu ar an lá deireanach de sheisiún na Dála go dtí 14 mhí Mheán Fómhair, go bhfuilimid ag seasamh sa Seomra seo agus ag plé cúrsaí airgeadais. Ar ndóigh, tá teaghlaigh fud fad na tíre seo ag déanamh an rud ceannann céanna ina gcuid cistineacha. Tá siad ag plé cúrsaí airgeadais a gcuid teaghlaigh nó an easpa airgid atá acu.

Nuair a théimid, ar bhriseadh, ní stopfaidh an plé sin. Beidh teaghlaigh fós buartha agus beidh go leor acu ag éirí níos buartha fós. Is mar gheall air seo go raibh muid i Sinn Féin ag rá le fada gurb é an rud a dteastaíonn ó daoine ná cáinaisnéis éigeandála, go raibh sé sin ag teastáil láithreach, agus nár chóir don Dáil dul ar saoire go dtí go raibh sé sin déanta.

Tá a fhios againn go raibh an ráta boilscithe chomh hard le 7.8% i mí Bealtaine. B’shin an ráta boilscithe is airde le 40 bliain. Tá praghas fuinnimh teaghlaigh tar éis ardaithe 57%, is é sin 41% ardú ar phraghas leictreachais, 57% ar phraghas gáis, agus 102% ar phraghas ola. Tá a fhios againn gurb iad muintir an iarthair is mó atá ag brath ar ola. Níl foinsí eile acu agus ní bhfuair siad cabhair ar bith don ardú praghais sin ón Rialtas seo.

Ceann de na rudaí ab breá leis an Rialtas seo a rá nuair a luaitear an ardú sa chostas maireachtála ná go bhfuil laghdú tagtha ar an bpraghas do thicéid bus. Is iontach an rud é sin ach céard fúthu siúd nach bhfuil bus ann dóibh. Ghearr an Rialtas seirbhísí bus i nGaillimh agus ní fiú caint ar seirbhísí bus faoin tuath mar nach bhfuil siad sásúil a bheag nó a mhór. Arís eile, is iad siúd atá faoi bhrú mar gheall ar an ola atá ag fulaingt arís mar nach bhfuil seirbhísí bus acu ach an oiread.

Ach, deirim leis na hAirí go raibh deis againn cabhrú le daoine. Chuir mé féin agus mo chuid comhghleacaithe rún faoi bhráid na Dála le moltaí simplí ach éifeachtach chun cabhrú le daoine. Bhí muid ag rá go soiléir go dteastaíonn cabhair ó chíosaithe. Caithfidh muid stop a chur le ardú cíosa ar feadh trí bliana agus creidmheas cánach a thabhairt dóibh atá cothrom le costas cíosa mí amháin.

Chomh maith leis sin, caithfear dleacht mháil ar pheitreal agus díosal a laghdú agus, faoi dheireadh, an rud céanna a dhéanamh le hola.

Caithfidh muid airgid a chur ar ais i bpócaí na ndaoine. Tuairim is €100 a thabhairt dóibh siúd idir ioncam €30,000 agus 60,000, agus €200 dóibh siúd ar ioncam níos lú nach €30,000.

Teastaíonn cabhair ó thuismitheoirí sula dtéann a gcuid páistí ar ais ar scoil. Bhí orm gáire a dhéanamh an tseachtain seo nuair a dúirt an Taoiseach gur cinneadh ciniciúil a bhí ann vóta mímhuiníne a mholadh, cé go ndearna an Rialtas an rud is ciniciúla a chonaic mé le fada an lá sa Seomra seo an tseachtain seo caite. Bhí an Rialtas ag rá le fada nach raibh sé chun tada a thabhairt do dhaoine roimh an gcáinaisnéis ach, ansin, nuair a chuir muid rún faoi bhráid na Dála Dé Máirt faoin gcostas dul ar ais ar scoil, shocraigh an Rialtas faoi dheireadh rud éigin a dhéanamh. Ach, ar ndóigh, ní raibh an Rialtas ag éisteacht i gceart. Seachas tacú lenár rún, rud a thabharfadh cabhair do 500,000 páiste sa bhreis, rud a chlúdódh 75% de teaghlaigh le páistí ar scoil, shocraigh an Rialtas gan an liúntas éadaí agus coisbhirt don scoilbhliain nua a leathnú amach do theaghlaigh eile.

Insím do na hAirí mar sin agus muid ag breathnú i dtreo an dorais chun dul ar ár gcuid saoire ón áit seo, go bhfuil teaghlaigh ar fud na hÉireann ag breathnú ina gcuid cuntas bainc, agus ag iarraidh orthu féin céard a dhéanfaidh siad idir anois agus deireadh mhí Mheán Fómhair chun bia a choinneáil ar a gcuid bord.

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