People Before Profit have put forward a number of Budget proposals ahead of the party’s think-in.
The Think-In will see the party discuss what they believe can be done to combat the cost of living crisis.
Chief among them is a levy on data centres, which will then be used to create €500 electricity credits for households.
After electricity credits were present in the 2021 and 2022 budgets, owing to Green Party influence, last year’s Budget had no sign of energy credits, while mood music from the government indicates they have no interest in bringing them back again this yeaPaul Murphy TD said:
Dublin South-West TD Paul Murphy said “the cost-of-living crisis is intensifying, but the government is not only ignoring the plight of ordinary people, they are making things worse.The outrageous increase in public transport fares is just the latest example.”
“At our Think-In we will discuss the cost-of-living crisis and our proposals for meaningful measures to address it. One of our key proposals is for €500 electricity credits for households to be funded by an electricity consumption levy of 20c per kwh on data centres. This would make a big difference to households facing crippling energy bills this winter,” he said.
“Data centres currently pay half what households pay for electricity and the government now wants to reduce gas prices for data centres. We will use our Private Members Business time in the Dáil next week to demand that data centres pay the same for their electricity as householders and that the funds raised be used to fund €500 electricity credits for households,” he said.
Dublin West TD Ruth Coppinger said “I look forward to taking up the position of Chair of the Special Committee on Preventing and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.”
“Feedback from survivors I have worked with is that ‘Ireland is policy rich and implementation poor’. We don’t want a talking shop, this must be a strongly focused committee that holds to account those with power on this issue; that educates people and recommends strong actions. It would be untenable for social media companies to refuse to attend, given their unique role in platforming violent misogyny and facilitating abuse.”
“It’s absolutely craven to see the government roll out the red carpet this weekend to President Trump, the main funder of a genocide they say they oppose. Trump not only facilitates the massacre of the people of Gaza, but is the main purveyor globally of militarisation, far right bigotry and misogyny. We will be joining protests against his visit and calling on big numbers to turn out on Saturday,” the Solidarity TD said.
Dún Laoghaire Richard Boyd Barrett TD said “Budget 2027 is less than 4 weeks away and it is essential that the government gives workers and their families a meaningful cost-of-living break.”
“In addition to energy credits, we need price caps on energy and on essential groceries. We have been calling for these for years and have introduced Bills in the Dáil proposing price caps. Another surge of crippling energy and food inflation is approaching fast, so the government finally needs to act to cap prices,” he said.
Boyd Barrett said “workers also need a pay rise to restore their real incomes that have been severely reduced by inflation in recent years. Most public sector workers have voted for strike action but the government has treated their pay claim with contempt. The government needs to implement pay increases to restore the real value of wages and give workers a lift out of the cost-of-living crisis.”
“While workers have to pay high income taxes, such as the USC, LPT and others, taxes on wealth and profits are absurdly low or non-existent taxes in this country. Our wealth tax proposals for Budget 2026 would have raised €9 billion this year, which could have been used to eradicate poverty and build world-class public services. We will develop those proposals for our alternative Budget 2027 and include other proposals for taxes on extreme wealth and corporate profits that can raise billions more to create the equal and sustainable society we urgently need.”