Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

No engaging in any amount of misinformation is going to put a headstone on the grave of that woman's husband. This is a simple fact. Equally, it will not put money in the bank account of people like that other lady in Dublin who has a colossal gas bill. The Minister mentioned child benefit and this aspect will be welcomed by all parents because they already have the bills these funds will have to go towards paying. It will not be for future bills that will arrive. Lord knows, it is not even to buy their children a pair of shoes over the summer. It is to pay the bills already sitting there.

There is, therefore, no future plan. This is where we have heard the Government come up with this notion of suggesting that people can hang on until the budget in October and then it will see what it can do then. It simply is not good enough. The message coming from the Government now is very clear to everybody across this State struggling in the here and now. The Government has no interest in tackling the struggles people are facing. It has no interest in assisting them in their time of need. The energy credits were mentioned. They were gone before the money ever landed in anyone's bank account or came directly off the bill. The question, therefore, again stands. What is the Government going to do to cut energy costs and to give households struggling in the here and now a break from these costs?

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