Seanad debates

Wednesday, 15 June 2022

10:30 am

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Senator Ardagh, for sharing her time. I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and welcome this opportunity to have a conversation on the cost of living. There are some aspects of the motion that merit discussion and consideration. I am not sure that reducing income tax is the best way to achieve a reduction in childcare costs or medical bills.If we reduce income tax at the same time, that would be difficult because if you reduce income tax, it costs more to do that and you do not have as much money to spend on the other things you would like to do. It is difficult to marry the two in the one budget.

At this time the focus must be on measures such as reducing the cost of childcare and dealing with the cost of fuel for families. As Minister for Rural and Community Affairs, Deputy Humphreys will be aware that those hit hardest by the cost of fuel are those living in rural Ireland who must travel to get to work. In my own area of Mayo, it is quite common to travel, even within the county, from Belmullet or Achill into Castlebar. You could be talking about an hour each way to get to work. It is quite common for people in Castlebar and Ballina to go to Sligo and Galway for work five days a week because many of these people are working in healthcare or in factories. The cost for people to get to work in rural Ireland, which would be under the Minister's brief, is considerable and is putting those families under considerable pressure. A particular measure targeted at those living in rural Ireland going to work faced with that challenge of fuel prices would be certainly welcome.

I note the motion says to reduce the fees for college. I would advocate for a more targeted approach. There are people in this country who are paying college fees and who can well afford to do so but then there are families that cannot afford college. It is not only college fees. It is the cost of accommodation, food, bills and everything that goes along with that. I would much rather see a targeted approach to education where we target the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant, expand the grant, put more funding into that so that those who need assistance to get to college actually receive it and those who do not need it do not get it, because we do not have enough to do all of these things. A targeted approach would be preferable.

The same applies with healthcare. Previously, there were plans within the Minister's party to have universal healthcare. We want to make sure that we have access to healthcare for everybody. Access is not equal across the country. There are those who cannot afford to access a doctor who are making the call on a daily basis that they cannot afford the €50 or €60 to go to their GP. On the other hand, there are people who can well afford to pay and are quite happy to pay. I favour a more targeted approach to address and focus on those members of society who are genuinely struggling with the cost of living because not everybody is struggling the same way. Everyone is feeling it but some can afford to pay and some cannot.

I am very much in support of retaining the public transport reductions. That was a good initiative that was brought forward. The Green Party has been calling for that for a long time but we are all on the same page now that by reducing the cost of public transport one will reduce the number of people in their cars, reduce emissions etc. That is a positive.

I would have considerable concern around looking to reduce taxes at a time when we cannot afford to do it and about certain measures, in terms of healthcare, childcare and education, that are not targeted at those who need them most. Those measures merit further discussion and consideration.

As I said, the cost of living is the number one issue that we are all dealing with. We may disagree on the best way to deal with it but we all accept that it is the burning issue, the key issue of the day and we all want to do something about it.

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