Government members talk relentlessly about price hikes like they are commenting on the weather. It drives people spare to see the Government doing nothing as they get fleeced every day. Banks are posting €5 billion profits from squeezing homeowners and short-changing savers. We have double-digit rent increases, crippling childcare costs and four consecutive months of petrol and diesel increases. Next Tuesday, eight different providers will raise their charges. Insurance and energy bills are rising. Mobile, broadband and television service providers are all hiking their prices mid-contract. It is absolutely relentless.

The Taoiseach has said there will be no cost-of-living package in this year's budget. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has said he supports him in that. Surely to God the Minister understands the pressure ordinary people are under. He needs to revisit the idea of bringing forward a cost-of-living package to address the crippling costs people the length and breadth of this State are facing.

We absolutely recognise the challenges many are facing at the moment, the degree to which some charges within our economy are going up and the effect of so many years of very high levels of inflation within our economy. However, we also must be very honest about the environment we are in and the need to not add to risks that are made here at home. Of course the Government wants to look at supports we can put in place to deal with the various price changes that are taking place. What we cannot do at this stage, and what we will not be able to do come the budget, is commit to the kinds of packages that were there in the past, for the simple reason that spending many billions of euro when inflation is now down at a lower level could create problems and risks for us in the future in terms of our ability to afford them and what effect that could have on our public finances at a time when we need to keep them safe. I know this will be a complex argument to make in the time ahead. I am aware of the difficulties so many households and businesses are facing. However, at a time of international risk, we do not want to create additional risks that could arise in the months ahead for our country.