People are struggling under relentless cost-of-living crises. Despite that, the Tánaiste's Government has decided to increase carbon taxes. It is going to heap more pressure on workers and families, and we know the carbon tax is regressive. It hits ordinary people on middle and low incomes the hardest, and the Government plans to continue to do this for the next five years, all signed off by Independents who support the Government.

This is at a time when people are struggling with costs. We know that the cost of groceries has gone up. We see double-digit rent increases, crippling childcare costs, and insurance costs going up and up. In the face of all of this and all that pressure, what the Tánaiste and the Cabinet have decided is to put up the price of a bag of coal and of home heating oil, and to make people's gas bills higher. That is the effect of today's increase in carbon tax. Will the Government come to its senses on this issue and stop all carbon tax increases for the next number of years?

I thank Deputy Doherty. He is right with regard to making sure people can be assisted with the cost of living but I would point out this Government has taken a number of measures, and that wages in Ireland are now growing ahead of inflation. We have taken action with regard to reducing childcare costs. That is just one example. We have made school books free and provided free school meals, measures that really help many families right across our country.

People in Ireland know the long-established policy in regard to carbon tax and they now know where that carbon tax money goes. It goes into things like the fuel allowance, helping people on a social welfare, retrofitting and agri-environmental schemes for our farmers. We have been very clear with respect to the policy direction on that.