Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to put this debate into context and I want the Minister of State to write down one figure. The Government could have a budgetary surplus of up to €16 billion.

I am going to read the Minister of State an email I got recently from a constituent. My constituent stated:

I have never had any reason or inclination to contact any TD's or public representatives however the cost of living crisis has left me at my lowest ebb ever. l am on disability and have had to choose between proper meals and turning my heat on, I go to the library most days to stay warm in the day time and then go to bed by 9 so I don’t have to sit in the cold.

My fuel allowance is coming to an end in two weeks and unfortunately, we don’t live in Spain and most people need heating up till the end of May the Government removed 7 weeks of fuel allowance during the financial crisis and only restored 2 weeks over the last few budgets surely this should be restored at the very least.

My electricity bill allowance is still just over €1 per day despite the massive rise in our bills, our bills went up hugely at the start of the Ukrainian war but even though the markets have rallied and energy is being purchased at close to pre-war levels it is still not being passed on to the customer.

Food shopping has increased. Bin charges went up hugely last year...

Brown bins are being charged for and I still remember when I was on Fingal County Council the saying from Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party was that you will only pay for what you throw away. When it was privatised people ended up paying for everything. The above email was signed by "Disillusioned and hungry".

I welcome the Minister of State's intervention. However, does anyone really believe he would be having this meeting tomorrow if it were not for this motion and for the pressure that has been put on Deputies from across the political spectrum by workers and families?

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