Return to austerity budgets
Deputy Murphy calls for a debate on the Government's alleged return to austerity, arguing that cost-of-living pressures are worsening while landlords and developers remain protected.
Let us have a debate on that so we can hear it.
We heard this morning from the Government that we are facing an era of restraint - austerity, in other words. We had two pre-election budgets with once-off payments and now, after the election, we have a return to austerity budgets.
Comment on this
That is deeply cynical when the cost-of-living crisis is deepening for ordinary people and when four in ten parents are cutting back on meals so their children have enough to eat. It is austerity for ordinary people, not for the landlords who will see their rents increase even faster or the property developers who will benefit from shrinkflation. We need to debate this in the Dáil instead of allowing the Government to normalise a return to austerity.