Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will not read out all that I have prepared. I welcome the Minister to the House. The reality is that we all know that more and more families are hurting and finding it difficult to make ends meet. They are turning to us, and other public representatives, in greater numbers to assist them in finding answers to the demands the cost of living is putting on them. Normally, the country's favourite topic of conversation is the weather, but now that has been replaced by the cost of petrol, diesel, food and maybe even daring to book a night away. The conversations happening in my clinics are about how families will be able to afford the costs associated with children going back to school in the autumn. Many of these conversations are with people who themselves never thought they would enter such a clinic in their lives. The overriding reality is that these problems exist now. Fuel prices are hitting home now and choices are being made now about this week's shopping. It may already be too late to make the decision about having a holiday with the children.

I recently met representatives of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Barnardos. Listening to them, the messages from both groups were the same. Their services are stretched to the limit. We need Government intervention now. We need the mini-budget that the Labour Party has called for. It will be too late in three and a half months' time. This is a simple fact of life for the people I deal with day in, day out. This is the simple fact impacting so many people now. This situation requires Government intervention. As has been called for by other Members, a mini-budget is needed now.