Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)

When it comes to inflation, it is important to emphasise the reason so many people are still struggling with it, and I accept it is a challenge for many, is not because of the actions of the Government. Inflation within our economy and the way it has gone up has not been caused by the Government of Ireland. It has been caused by factors that are outside of our control, in many cases. I refer to the cost of energy and what has happened with supply chains across the world.

To answer the Deputy's question, we are currently - and I say "currently" - projecting a general Government surplus for this year of €8.7 billion, nearly all of which is caused by the corporate tax receipts most Members of this House, including I believe Deputy Doherty, have always acknowledged are highly volatile and that we cannot depend upon them.

The reason I say we cannot do the one off measures we have done in the past again is that while the cost of living is still high, the rate of inflation we have seen that justified us doing those packages has fallen dramatically. When we brought in the various large cost-of-living measures, it was done in anticipation they would be one-off. That turned out not to be the case but what has turned out to be the case is that inflation has fallen. We were in a situation where inflation was well in excess of 10% and growing so quickly but now it will be, I hope, between 1% and 2% and growing at a far more normal level.

I accept prices are high and that this is a challenge for so many people but the rate of price increases has fallen dramatically. What the Government will aim to do is to provide the support we normally do through, for example, social welfare measures that feature in every budget as opposed to the repetition of measures which if they became normal, I would be concerned they would not be affordable.

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