Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Government and Sinn Féin clearly have different perspectives on the challenges people face. Many people say to us they are facing a financial cliff and getting nearer and nearer to it. The Government seems to be steaming on ahead with its policies, clearly powered by hot air. Families are suffering.

The key element of what is proposed is that there will be two increases in October. The Government is asking us to wait for the budget process. We are already in the budget process. Every day, we are contacted by families, individuals, advocacy groups and others about the crisis they are facing. The budget is being written as we speak. What we are saying is that families cannot handle two increases in the one month.

Petrol and diesel prices have already been increasing steadily this year. Those of us who travel know that, but the difficulty to which we are referring is that while people who live in Dublin might have a transport alternative, although not always, others do not. In many cases, you need the transport to get to your job. What we are saying is that what is happening must stop. The Government has to wake up to what families are facing. They are facing a crisis and we need to do more. We are asking the Government to do the common-sense thing, namely, stop this increase. Is that too much to ask? I do not believe it is. Anyone listening at home will have heard the Government saying there is plenty of money. Is its belief that people will not get into their cars if the increase is high enough? There is no one sitting out on their driveway revving up their car for a couple of hours per day; they are using the petrol or diesel to get from A to B. People are suffering and worrying, going to bed at night wondering how they will get the money to get to their jobs.

It is not only workers, but students, people bringing children to childcare and so on. Do we have to do an ABC for the Minister? There is a problem. It can be solved. It is within the Government's power to solve and Sinn Féin is appealing in this motion to the Minister for Finance to do so by stopping the increases. I ask the Minister of State to reflect on that.

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