Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I cannot unsee the circumstances that exist in the absence of the pandemic unemployment payment, which was very welcome, having been set at a rate of €350 to recognise that people coming out of employment through no fault of their own would not be able to live on core social welfare rates. It is very difficult to unsee that social welfare rates have increased by only €5 a couple of years after the pandemic. In the absence of targeting the lump sum payments that the Minister referred to at the most vulnerable, meaning that they were being availed of by people who did not need them, such as those with second homes and millionaires, there were people choosing between heating their homes and feeding their families. I am very conscious that although we are now in the summer months, we will be moving into the winter shortly, meaning people will be making such hard choices again. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and other organisations have highlighted that people are still going without basic necessities such as food and, heaven forbid, a night out so they can provide for their families.

That is still the situation in this country. The only way of combating it is by targeted increases in core social welfare payments.

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