Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This motion is very important for hundreds of thousands of families and individuals on low and fixed incomes. We are constantly trying to ensure that every section of Irish society gets some sort of relief during this cost-of-living crisis. We are forced to do this because the Government has been too slow or completely unwilling to act.

Last week, we put forward a motion for mortgage interest relief. It was rejected out of hand by the Government. Rents in 2022 were 13.7% higher than in the same period in 2021. The average rent at the end of last year was €1,733 per month. It is almost €1,000 more expensive per month than it was in 2011. In reality, we all know rents are much higher than that. Again, when we put forward proposals that included reducing rents and providing real security of tenure, that was also rejected out of hand by the Government. Thank God we managed to block water charges because I dread to think what the Government would be charging people for water at this point in time.

This motion is very important for hundreds of thousands of families and individuals on low and fixed incomes, who are under severe financial pressure trying to make ends meet; for the 595,000 people with incomes below the poverty line; for the 10% of parents who are forced to use food banks; and for everybody who dreads the thought of opening their gas bill. The ESRI stated that this has caused a record high of 29% of households to go into energy poverty. This motion is important for the majority of workers and their families who do not have access to the fuel allowance. Even if they did have access to it, applications are taking up to four weeks to be processed. Four weeks in a cold winter is a long time and the Government has still not rectified that delay. For once, it must act in time by supporting this motion and introducing a spring bonus and cost-of-living supports in line with it.

See this speech in context