Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)

The fact of the matter is that normal working families are being affected by a cost-of-living crisis. This Government has lost control of it. Week on week, families see their shopping bills rise and rise, and the Government is burying its head in the sand, ignoring people's hardships and refusing to bring forward a cost-of-living package. Even the conscious shopper using the so-called low-cost supermarkets and purchasing own brand is finding that these brands are rising faster than the traditional brands. I know families where parents are going without food to make sure that children can eat and have essentials such as nappies and baby formula, which are often the most expensive in the trolley. Elderly people have to make a choice between eating or heating. Renters have to balance between buying essential food supplies and making sure that they can meet their rent at the end of the month.

Everyone understands that businesses have costs, that they have to be viable and they have to make profits, but the profits are eye-watering. Tesco made a €120 million profit in Ireland. United Natural Foods, owners of SuperValu, reported a turnover exceeding €5 billion for the first time, with profits of €104 million. We only have the figures for the North for Dunnes Stores; we do not have them for the Twenty-six Counties. Its £3.8 million in profits soared last year to £12.7 million. All these super profits are being made while people are unable to afford their weekly bills.

This Government is complicit in the hardships inflicted on hardworking families, including education costs, food prices, rent prices and lack of housing. It goes on and on. It is time to stand up for ordinary families and ordinary workers and ensure that they can make ends meet at the end of the week.

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