Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this very important motion, which I fully support. There is no doubt skyrocketing grocery prices coupled with huge increases in other household costs, like energy and rent, are putting huge strain on families across the country.

Right now families in Donegal find themselves caught in a pincer movement between the cost-of-living crisis and the defective concrete scandal. This is on top of long-standing geographic and infrastructural neglect. This is not anecdotal. The figures speak to structural disadvantage in Donegal. According to the CSO figures for 2021 Donegal had the lowest disposable income in Ireland at more than 20% below the national average. The county is severely disadvantaged in terms of workforce distribution. The clusters of high-income sectors are in urban areas. We have no rail network, poor broadband and little access to employment outside tourism or seasonal work. The exclusion limits access to high-paying jobs and remote opportunities. This inequality significantly worsens the cost-of-living strain on people in my county. Rent is astronomical and supply minimal. The Taoiseach, in response to my question yesterday, pointed out there were 2,000 families at some stage in the defective concrete scheme, but as it is in progress where are these people to go? Where are they to rent? There is absolutely nowhere. Delays in payments means builders are taking longer than expected. Auxiliary grants that were granted may have been paid to homeowners who did not breach the cap but have long since run out, leaving homeowners to try to pay for a mortgage and pay rent. How can families be expected to manage this while they have the lowest disposable income in the State?

Defective concrete adds an unbearable cost to an already desperate cost-of-living crisis. Families are facing the impossible decision between sending their children to college or allocating the funds to rebuilding a structurally failing home. Should they choose to pay rent for an indefinite period or halt their education, healthcare and essential living costs? Should they face bankruptcy or remain stuck in an unsafe house? In Donegal we have more than a cost-of-living crisis. We have rising grocery prices and the significant injustice of neglect worsening an already ill-conceived scheme. Families in Donegal should not have to decide between their children’s education and a safe home. They should not have to be charged VAT twice on levies in a broken system and they should not face predatory contract practices while being abandoned by infrastructure and economic investment. They face all this while experiencing a 40% increase in weekly grocery prices alongside families across the country. This is about restoring dignity, opportunities and fairness. We need to fix the scheme, fix rents, fix rebuilds and fix Donegal’s future.

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