I want to remind the Government that the group which led the way on the cost-of-living struggle until the past week or so was disabled people. Outside the Dáil they again led the Affordable Ireland campaign protest a few weeks ago. Why were they to the fore? It was because they were the ones who were hit hardest in the budget with €1,400 worth of cruel and targeted cuts. For months, despite all of the pleading, protest, argument and stories about people having to choose between heating and eating, the Government ignored their request for a €400 emergency payment so that they could pay their winter heating bills. Instead, the Government lectured disabled people and carers that it had to be responsible and careful with the State finances. Now suddenly the Government, on a Sunday night, found over half a billion euro down the back of the couch. Some of that will trickle down to workers, disabled people and carers, which is welcome. It would not have happened without the protests. The Minister of State said on "Morning Ireland" that the cuts will be wiped away by the international price of oil going up further, which is as result of Trump and Netanyahu's illegal wars. This cowardly Government has still not condemned Trump or Netanyahu for their wars despite the claptrap about standing up for international law. It is often said that power comes from the barrel of a gun. In this country, it seems that power comes from the engine of a tractor. The message from the Government is very clear. If people do not take militant protest action, it will ignore their demands no matter how reasonable and justified they are. It does not want to know. The trade unions have to take heed of this as they enter into pay talks. We are in a new phase of militant protest. Workers do not need heavy machinery to force the Government to listen to them. The most effective form of disruptive action is the strike and that is the power that all workers have. If they use that, they can fight not just for higher wages but for universal free public services, real rent controls, increases in social welfare payments and universal measures on the cost-of-living crisis, including breaking with the reliance on fossil fuels which is what has gotten us into this crisis in the first place. The most immediate thing that can be done is free public transport. That could be done tomorrow. It needs to be done.

Sentiment score: -0.12