Government measures to tackle the cost of living fall far short of what struggling families need, Mary Lou McDonald has told the Dáil.
The Sinn Féin leader told the Taoiseach on Tuesday that the public cannot wait until the next Budget in October for extra support, as the impact of inflation begins to bite.
“The house is on fire now, Taoiseach.
“Workers and families cannot wait seven months for a fire brigade that might never come,” Ms McDonald said.
On Monday, Mr Martin ruled out any extra measures to tackle the rising cost of living before the autumn.
Instead, he defended a €290 million package of measures designed to mitigate the cost of living announced last week by the Government.
That package, which was blasted as “paltry” by opposition parties on Tuesday, included a rebate on household energy bills increasing to €200, including VAT.
Public transport fares are set to be cut by 20 per cent from April for the rest of the year.
People already in receipt of the fuel allowance will also receive an additional payment of €125.
The Sinn Féin leader said that people were hoping for more from the Government.
“This didn’t happen, and it happened because your Government simply doesn’t get it,” she said.
Ms McDonald said she had received around a thousand stories from people about how the cost-of-living crisis was hitting them.
“They are stories of hardship and worry, pushing families to the edge,” she said, as she read some of the personal testimony out to the chamber.
“I am really scared,” Ms McDonald quoted from one person.
“These stories, Taoiseach, are just a glimpse of what people face.”
She said that for people paying large rents to live in apartments and homes that resemble “kips”, the measures announced by the Government will not make a “dent” in their problems.
The working family payment increase announced in the Budget will also be brought forward from June to April, as part of the policy changes announced last week.
The Government also reduced caps on the fees for multiple children on school transport to €500 per family for post-primary schools, and €150 for primary school children.
Those eligible for the drug payment scheme, which puts a cap on the maximum a family can spend on medicines a month, will see the limit cut from €100 to €80.
Mr Martin said: “We know that inflation has risen very significantly, globally. The origins of this are, fundamentally, global.”
“Ireland has not escaped the global phenomenon of inflation.”
Today I shared stories of families and workers struggling with bills and the cost of living with the Taoiseach. He says these people have been protected and 'cushioned' by his government. He is wrong. Government can't spin the truth.
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) February 15, 2022
He hit back at Sinn Féin proposals, which include an axing of the planned increase in carbon tax later this year, as well providing direct payments of €200 to individuals on incomes of €30,000 or less, and €100 for individuals on incomes between €30,000 and €60,000.
“You’re saying it is too small and hence, what you seem to be proposing, will be inflationary.
“It would actually make things worse,” Mr Martin said.
“People objecting left, right and centre to housing developments are not going to help renters and are not going to help people who are paying too high a rent at the moment,” he said.
“This economy has rebounded, very significantly, because of good, sound economic management.”
Ms McDonald appealed to the Irish premier to listen to the concerns of the public.
“People now are making choices between heat and food.
“Where people now feel lost and frightened.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that families are staring into the abyss.
“You cannot spin the truth of people’s lives.
“People cannot wait until October for relief and for real help.
“I hope you will show a willingness to listen to that reality.”
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett also raised the issue in the Dáil.
Branding the announcements as “paltry”, he asked that the supports will not go far enough to mitigate price rises.
“Who is supposed to pay the rest, for workers whose wages are increasing maybe at 1 per cent for public sector workers, or pensioners and social welfare recipients who got an extra fiver in the Budget?
“What about the rents, in the measures?
“Absolutely nothing.”
