Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan has said that the government’s failure to tackle the root causes of the cost-of-living crisis has led to an “endless cycle of haphazard emergency measures.”
O’Callaghan, who serves as the party’s finance spokesperson, was speaking after the announcement of the Dáil being recalled on August 28th.
The government’s mood music indicates that they will be reversing excise duty fuel cuts in September and October, with Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke indicating that the government is attempting to figure out the plans beyond October.
Per O’Callaghan, that is indicative of the government’s planning (or lack thereof).
The Dublin Bay North TD said, “given the unprecedented cost-of-living crisis and rising fuel costs, the Social Democrats support the recalling of the Dáil this week. People are already pushed to the pin of their collar and simply cannot keep up with constant price increases.”
“However, the cost-of-living crisis goes far beyond prices at the pump. The ever-increasing cost of housing, groceries, and bills has made paying for the basics a nightmare.”
Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan
“Meanwhile, this government lurches from crisis to crisis without any clear strategy to make life affordable for ordinary people. They are caught in a doom spiral of emergency measures that are not addressing the root causes of this crisis,” O’Callaghan said.
O’Callaghan remarked, “the government have lost control – and the public are paying for it.”
“We need to implement long-term solutions – such as the Social Democrats’ Solar for All plan – that bring costs down permanently,” he said.