Sinn Féin accuses Government of ‘sitting on hands’ while household bills rise

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The Government has been urged to introduce cost of living measures to help households dealing with rising prices.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Taoiseach Micheál Martin of “sitting on his hands” while workers are struggling to pay bills.

However, Mr Martin said there was no government across the EU which had provided as much in cost of living supports as Ireland.

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil on Wednesday, Ms McDonald said the spiralling prices were “biting hard” for working people.

She said: “Ordinary households are finding it very difficult to keep up with the never ending barrage of rip-off bills.

“Yet your Government seems oblivious to this pressure that people are under. You seem content to sit on your hands and do nothing while workers and families barely get by.

“On the watch of your Government households are hit with soaring costs right across the board.”

Ms McDonald listed the increased price of a number of household items as well as insurance and energy costs.

She also said rent had continued to increase, stating the average rent was now €2,000 a month.

“That is the nightmare you have created for renters.”

She then read out messages from several constituents detailing their experiences struggling with increasing prices.

The Sinn Féin president said: “Hard working people being fleeced left, right and centre.

“Many have very little left at the end of the week, forced to decide which bill to pay, which one to leave, forced to cut back on the basics.

“And a Government proclaiming that it will not act, that it will not help.

“It is not lost on anyone that at the same time you rule out help for ordinary people, you had no problem whatsoever delivering big pay hikes for your raft of junior and super junior ministers.”

She added: “You cannot leave working people and families high and dry, Toaiseach. You must act.

“Bring forward cost of living support to ease this enormous pressure on households.”

Taoiseach Mr Martin responded: “No government across Europe, across the 27 member states of the EU, has provided as much as this Government and the previous government in terms of cost of living supports.

“Quite exceptional one-off contributions made, quite apart from the other significant provision that we made within the mainstream elements of the budget.

“Over 7.3 billion euro was made available in temporary expenditure and 9.3 billion in recurring expenditure in supporting household incomes.”

He said in recent years the level of inflation had an impact on households and businesses.

The Taoiseach added: “Our agenda and objective in the budget when it comes in the autumn will be to provide within the social protection payment programme and in terms of taxation, to do what we can to alleviate the pressures on people.

“We have had an exceptional period and the response has been exceptional by any yardstick.”