Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Despite the Government's considerable efforts to put a positive spin on its cost-of-living package, the net fact is that the vast majority of workers, pensioners and social welfare recipients are going to be very considerably less well off because increases in the cost of living and inflation are far in excess of the small increases given in the budget and the one-off measures being proposed today. How can the Taoiseach justify that when those in the corporate sector, energy companies and corporate landlords and developers are making record profits? How can it be fair or justified not to take measures to address the fact that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer? Specific groups do not get any help at all. People on illness benefit do not get the fuel allowance. People who are over the social income thresholds do not get any rent support.

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