Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yet it was proper for the Minister for Finance to sign off on the first piece of legislation he introduced, which was to give a big increase to junior Ministers and increase the number of super junior Ministers, which is something we are challenging in the courts. Inflation is also caused by the Government. When the Government decided to increase the carbon tax, it put up the price of petrol and diesel. It put up the price of home heating oil and gas, which the Government did last month. These are things that are under the Government's control. When the Government decides not to ban rent increases, inflation goes up and families are under pressure. These are things that could be under control if the Government would intervene. Given that the Government has not taken these measures, families are struggling now. We see from the CSO and from surveys by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and others that here are many families who simply cannot even put a hot dinner on the table.

I ask the Minister for Finance, in the context of recording surpluses in excess of €17 billion this year and next year, that there would be a cost-of-living package, not to spend €17 billion on it but to recognise people have been short-changed by the Government and to recognise there is a need for one in this year's budget.

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