Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We in the Labour Party welcome any measures that will alleviate hardship for families and households over this winter. We agree that a combination of measures is necessary, but we have proposed three immediate actions the Government could have taken in this budget to alleviate hardship. I refer to a €9 per month public transport ticket to heavily subsidise public transport for all, a €200 per month cap on childcare fees and access to free GP care for all children under 18. Those are the sort of measures that could have been adopted by the Government in the budget, but that were not. We believe they are the kind of measures that are necessary. In a rich country, no one should be left hungry, cold or homeless facing into winter. This Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael budget has failed that test. We need an Ireland that works for all. We in the Labour Party have put forward serious, substantial and radical proposals that would have achieved that. It is an unfortunate missed opportunity that the Government did not take up that challenge and introduce a combination of measures needed to address the hardships and fear so many people are facing this winter.

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