I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — a cost-of-living crisis exists in this State; — Budget 2026 was predicated on an inflation rate of 2 per cent, but it is now at 3.2 per cent; — prices have increased by 23.5 per cent in the last five years; — food prices have increased by 5 per cent in the last year; — Irish electricity prices are among the highest in the European Union (EU), 24 per cent higher than the EU average; — electricity companies have announced an average increase of 10 per cent; — gas prices have almost doubled in the last five years; — private house rents have continued to skyrocket, up 4.7 per cent year-on-year and reaching €2,100 per month in Dublin; — house prices have increased 8.1 per cent year-on-year; — council house rents have increased, including charging extra rent for person's carer's allowance; — motor insurance premiums have increased by 17 per cent; — toll charges have increased; — Local Property Tax has increased; — student fees have increased; and — childcare fees continue to be at mortgage repayment levels; further notes that: — 11.7 per cent of the population, 629,425 people, are living in poverty, including: — 190,108 or 15.3 per cent of children; — 106,385 or 13 per cent of over 65s; — 69,244 or 1 in 3 of persons with a long-term illness or a disability; and — 140,377 workers; — 298,000 households are in arrears on electricity bills; — 185,000 households are in arrears on gas bills; — according to the Parliamentary Budget Office, the withdrawal of the once-off cost of living payments will increase general poverty to 12.6 per cent, child poverty to 15.6 per cent, older persons to 17.6 per cent, and decrease the annual income of the poorest 20 per cent of households by 4.15 per cent; — the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) received 260,000 requests for help in 2025, up 6 per cent on 2024; and — the SVP received 33,214 energy requests in November 2025 which was the highest ever; and calls on the Government to: — stop the price gouging of food and energy companies; — appoint an agri-food regulator to tackle rip-off food costs; — introduce price control of food, electricity, gas and fuel costs; — implement a rent freeze; — implement a living wage; — benchmark social welfare increases to the minimum essential standard of living index; — introduce a weekly cost of disability payment; — introduce the promised maximum €200 per month child-care cost and commence immediately with the creation of a public child-care service; — commence the introduction of a free public transport system; — introduce a second targeted tier of child benefit; — reinstate energy credits with the immediate payment of a €500 winter payment; and — introduce a millionaires wealth tax. There is a cost of living crisis in this State and it did not happen overnight. One's first instinct is to say the Government has lost touch with the daily living and working conditions of Irish people but that is not the case. The cost-of-living crisis that exists today is the result of deliberate Government policy. Governments make choices and this and previous Governments have made choices favouring the rich and powerful in our society to the detriment of low and middle income families. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together have made these choices for the past ten years at least and they are responsible for the poverty, homelessness, exorbitant rents and crushing financial pressures on families trying to make ends meet on a daily basis. Prices have increased by 23.5% in the past five years. Food prices have gone through the roof, rising by approximately 5% last year. There is huge price gouging by food companies and the family shop is now costing an additional €3,000 per year over the past few years. We need price controls and a price freeze and we need an agri-food regulator to tackle the rip-off in food costs. Energy is another area of huge concern. Electricity prices in Ireland are some of the highest in Europe at 24% above the EU average. Gas prices have doubled in the past five years and we are also seeing further electricity price rises. All the main companies have announced price increases in the region of 10%. Some of them are SSE Airtricity, up 9.5% or an additional €150 per year; Bord Gáis Energy up 13.5% or an additional €218 per year; Pinergy is up 9.8% or an additional €199; Energia is up 12.1% or €200; and Flogas electricity is up 7% or €126 extra per year. These prices are hugely impinging on the financial position of ordinary families. Rents are unaffordable, up by 4.7% last year and house prices have risen by 8.1%. A teacher, garda, nurse or public servant cannot afford to purchase a house now. It is worth quoting the current edition of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, monthly newsletter, InTouch. A Sligo teacher said: I moved home in 2021, secured a permanent job and began looking to buy a house. I've been careful with savings for several years and have a decent deposit built up, but the price of homes in Sligo has skyrocketed with some one-bed new builds starting at €295k and second-hand homes regularly going for up to €100,000 over the asking price. Every year prices go higher so it becomes more impossible to buy. It seems like buying is now a dream rather than a reality. Rents have also increased significantly and the residential tenancies Bill we have just been dealing with will increase rents even further from the existing unaffordable rents to absolutely extortionate rents by way of an additional €3,000 to €3,500 per year. Council rents have also increased significantly. The fact carer's allowance is now being included for the purpose of rent determination is an absolute scandal. Carers save the State billions of euro every year - I think the figure is €20 billion - and they save the HSE huge amounts of money, yet a carer who receives a full carer's allowance of €270 per week now pays €54 of that in council rent. That is absolutely unacceptable. The Government should give instructions to local authorities to exclude carer's allowance from determinations of rent. The next issue that impinges hugely on families is motoring costs, which are a huge burden on families, particularly those living outside the major urban centres where there are, as the Minister of State will be aware, poor public transport facilities. Motoring premiums have increased by 17%. The volume of claims is down by 40%, awards are down by one third and profits are at 13%, which is double the international average. These insurance companies need to be tackled. The list goes on. What does all this mean for families and society? It means families are being driven into poverty. There are 629,425 adults living in poverty, or 11.7% of the population and that will increase to 12.6% in 2026. There are 190,108 children or 15.3% living in poverty and that will increase to 15.6% in 2026. There are 106,385 people over 65 years of age or 13% living in poverty and that will increase to 17.6% in 2026. These figures were provided by the Parliamentary Budget Office. Families and households are also under huge pressure from energy with 298,000 families in arrears on their electricity bills and 185,000 in arrears on gas bills. After budget 2026, the annual income of the poorest 20% of households will fall by 4.15%. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SVP, sees the results of the Government's policy first hand, with 260,000 requests in 2025, up 6% and 33,204 energy requests in 2025, which was the highest number ever. I move this motion in advance of the launch of the affordable Ireland campaign. This is a campaign of civil society organisations, Opposition political parties, student groups, trade unions and many others. That group has come together to demand that the Government take real action on the cost-of-living crisis that is impacting households. The start of that campaign is on Saturday, 28 February, here in Dublin with a national protest. That protest will focus on the demand for an emergency winter payment and a cost-of-disability payment. I fully support the campaign and I call on all organisations, political parties, and the trade union movement to come out in support of it. The fact of the matter is that low- and middle-income families across this country are put to the pin of their collar to survive on a daily basis as a result of this cost-of-living crisis.

Sentiment score: 0.04

I am shocked by the Government's amendment. In effect, it is saying that everything in the garden is rosy. However, low- and middle-income families know very well that everything in the garden is not rosy. The Government's amendment does not even acknowledge the cost-of-living crisis that exists. It does not acknowledge the huge financial pressures on families. There is no acknowledgement that budget 2026 created higher levels of poverty and took up to €1,400 out of the pockets of the less well off and the disabled. There is no acknowledgement that the Government increased the income tax take from PAYE workers. I should not have been shocked by the amendment because the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments of the past ten years have pursued policies that support the rich and powerful in our society to the detriment of low- and middle-income families. The political choices they have made support corporate landlords, the burger barons and the big developers. That is exactly what has happened. It is noticeable that we do not see, and have not seen, a single Fianna Fáil Deputy in the Chamber. This is a party that claimed at one stage to represent working-class people. Of course, that is long since gone. Fianna Fáil has now become more Fine Gael than Fine Gael itself. There is no more confirmation of that than the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 of the Fianna Fáil Minister, James Browne, which he introduced in the House yesterday. That Bill is written by, for and on behalf of corporate landlords and institutional investors. That Bill will line the pockets of these organisations and will introduce extortionate rents, lock people out of the rental markets and increase homelessness. The Government's policy is very clear. The Minister has said that employment is the way out poverty. There are 140,000 workers living in poverty. They are not my figures; they are Government figures and from the CSO. Contrast that to the huge increases of higher executives announced last week and the huge bonuses to Irish Water executives announced the week before. There is an alternative but, of course, it is one the Government refuses to take. This is a very wealthy country. Budget 2026 projects a surplus of €5.1 billion and over the past three years there has been a surplus of €42.2 billion. The Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund have €20 billion. This Government can well afford to reinstate energy credits and to introduce an emergency winter payment. If that is not enough, there are huge financial moneys available. Twelve Irish billionaires own €46 billion. That exceeds the combined wealth of 66% of the population of this country, some 3.4 million people. Oxfam recommends a wealth tax, and rightly so. That is something the Government should introduce immediately. A wealth tax, even at a very nominal rate, would raise billions of euro to support low and middle-income families. The Minister's amendment is absolutely shameful and should be withdrawn. At least, the Government should introduce immediately a €500 winter payment for people who are seriously under pressure from energy bills right across the board. I ask the Dáil to support this reasonable and common-sense motion and I ask the Minister of State to withdraw his amendment.

Sentiment score: 0.09