I also add my voice in relation to those who have been injured and offer condolences to the family of the man who has died. I have spoken too many times over the last short period about absolute tragedies. It is obviously disappointing to see this on the streets of Dublin. Too many times have I had to commend those who work in the emergency services. As Deputy O’Reilly said, we do not always think through what they do on a day-by-day basis but, as she says, they always show up and we are very glad they do. I thank Deputy Healy for doing this but the fact we are putting down Private Members’ motions on the cost-of-living crisis in one of the richest states in the world says something. We talk to constituents and constituents come in to us. We hear the conversations in shops or the odd time when people are in bars or anywhere else. It is about the cost of everything and how it has gone through the roof. I do not think the Minister of State will be shocked to hear they are not generally impressed with the actions, or lack of action, of the Government. I think of those who work in EuroGiant and the particular issues they are facing at the moment. That is 77 stores and 640 workers. We do not know how liquidation and the whole thing will go but they are people who might be facing far worse circumstances than they anticipated. I am thinking of those in my home town of Dundalk who work for EuroGiant. We need to ensure that whatever supports are necessary are done. Unfortunately, we do not have all the safety nets for all those who fall into worse times. Many others have said how there are a number out there who are in very good circumstances who are constantly looked after, whether that is developers with their tax breaks, those in the highest echelons of semi-State organisations and all those others. There is no cost-of-living crisis for them and there are no worries about increases for those people. That is the problem. Yesterday, this House went through the disaster the Government is going to impose on an absolutely dysfunctional housing market and housing crisis. In my constituency the average cost of a three-bedroom house rental in County Louth is around €1,966. People would probably struggle to get that price if they go onto daft.ie at the minute. I did it yesterday and I do not intend to go through it again. In Dundalk there were only about 20 properties that were available. What does the Government propose? On 1 March we will have a complete reset for all new tenancies and market rate is what people will be charged. We can just imagine what market rate is in a broken market. Many speakers for very obvious reasons have brought up a cohort of people who have been abused for many years. I refer to those with disabilities. I again commend Disability Federation Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Access for All for driving home the idea that there is a need for an emergency cost-of-disability payment. I am going to repeat what I said previously. In providing one-off payments, the Government accepted there was a need for a cost-of-disability payment because it made it. The other reason I know the Government believes there is a need for a cost-of-disability payment is because there is a review process ongoing at the minute to provide one for next year. The only problem with that is that it is no good for those who have to decide whether to eat or heat. We all heard from those in the audiovisual room who spoke about the issues over deciding whether to charge their wheelchair and that is before we get into the logistics in relation to travel and the added costs. Even at times when they have free travel, they still have to pay a booking cost because they have to use the Internet when booking within Iarnród Éireann. None of this is good enough and I do not see any solutions. Deputy O'Reilly stated it explicitly. We have had huge promises from the Government and we have had a huge amount of energy in relation to what was going to be done about the absolutely spiralling cost of groceries, not that anybody outside needs to be told about that. They literally can tell us on a day-to-day basis how the price of milk, rashers or anything has gone through the roof. Beef is a particular issue this week. Let us be clear: there is no solution for the absolutely drastic energy costs. As said by many, whatever about not improving the circumstances, at least the Government should do no harm; it should not increase the pain. What do we get? We get carbon taxes thrown on those who can least afford them. We have huge energy costs, huge rental costs and huge mortgage costs. We have no cost-of-disability payments. We have no solutions and no cost-of-living package from the Government. There was no difficulty with cost-of-disability payments and cost-of-living payments before an election, but there is a problem with them now. There is a problem for people out there at the minute. We need to see action and we have seen nothing but bluster.

Sentiment score: -0.10

De réir Bhuan-Ordaithe 85(2), cuirfear an vótáil siar go dtí an am vótála seachtainiúil Dé Céadaoin, 11 Feabhra 2026.

Sentiment score: 0.00