Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this very pressing issue.  I completely support this motion to introduce measures to assist with household bills.  It has been a difficult summer for many households across this country and I know that many in County Donegal have been struggling to keep up with the never-ending rise in household bills.  What I have found extremely alarming is the level of anxiety among my constituents.  There is a strong sense of fear of this coming winter and sheer panic at the thought of trying to make ends meet.  Surely, when met with such anxiety among the citizens, the Government should recognise its own failure.

This is a failure to protect households and a failure to provide any type of comfort to those worrying endlessly about what is to come.

We should have had an emergency budget by now but instead we have let people face the full impact of rising prices alone. We read stories every day of people having to choose between heating and eating, yet the Government still seems completely detached from this reality. RTÉ aired a devastating documentary on Monday night entitled "Broke" and I implore everyone to give it a watch to see what is happening on the ground. The documentary told of Ireland’s cost of living and the incredible wave of emigration that has been seen in recent months. A business in my home town of Killybegs featured and the business owners told the story of how their popular restaurant was forced into closure. The customers of the restaurant are experiencing huge increases in costs as well as the business itself. That is the problem and that has not been recognised at any stage by the Government. It is time to start listening to the people. Where has the clock gone? Will we keep on going? There is no time left.

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