Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports that are in place for workers to combat the cost-of-living increases and additional expenses that workers have accrued. [45194/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is understandable that workers are concerned about the rising costs they are seeing and experiencing currently. The impact of rising prices is not unique to Ireland, and is facing all major economies around the world.

The Government has been proactive in limiting the fallout from higher rates of inflation. Budget 2022 contained a large range of measures to protect households from the rising cost of living, including a personal income tax package worth €520 million and a social welfare package of over €550 million.

This has included:

- Fuel Allowance has been increased by €5 per week;

- There were increases in the allocation of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare to ensure childcare prices do not rise;

- Temporary 20% reduction in public transport fares applicable from April until the end of the year;

- A reduction of the drug payment scheme to €80;

- The working family payment increase announced on Budget Day was brought forward from 1 June to 1 April;

- Most recently, the Government’s focus has been on providing supports to households to reduce the impact of rising energy costs. This has included: reduction in the rate of VAT on gas and electricity from 13.5% to 9% until the 31st of October,

- A €200 credit to every domestic electricity account between April and June 2022

- A temporary reduction in the excise duties charged by 20 cent per litre of petrol, 15 cent per litre of diesel, and 2 cent in the excise duty charged on marked gas oil.

Yesterday, we announced a significant increase in the minimum wage from next January. Further measures are being considered for introduction as part of Budget 2023.