Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

That is my commitment. I am not going to dive into the ocean with a tractor. It is wonderful and reflects the very strong value of community in the country. I acknowledge that.

In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, the Government has taken a lot of measures that I outlined in response to an earlier question, particularly in terms of supporting families and increasing the child support payment by €16 for a child over 12 and €8 for a child under 12; extending the fuel allowance to the working family payment, which now means that about 26% of families are covered by the fuel allowance; continuing with the free books scheme, which brings about huge savings for families; and the hot school meals, which have been very effective for many families. We have also kept VAT on electricity and gas prices at 9%, so we have done a lot in respect of the cost of living but on this occasion, we have targeted it. We have provided schools with the highest ever capitation grant, which is €50 per pupil for primary and €20 per pupil for post-primary. This will help schools to meet the cost of living-----

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