Before proceeding, I would like to read a short note to welcome Julie Lyons and her family to the Gallery. I would like to take a moment of colleagues' time and ask them to join me in saying farewell to Julie, a friend of ours. Julie is retiring on Friday after 34 years in the Houses of the Oireachtas. We all know Julie as our amazing head chef, the woman who keeps the kitchen going and our tummies full. Julie has been with us since 1991, starting as a chef de partie, before being promoted to second head chef in 2020 and finally becoming the first female head chef in the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2023. Julie has many a story to tell of her time here, dealing with eight cinn comhairle and nine taoisigh. We will have to wait for the book.

Julie is joined today by her family: her two children, Miranda and Dan; their partners, Ed and Lorraine; her lovely grandchildren, Ruby, Lily, Teddy and George; and her brother and sister, Eamon and Deirdre. I know Julie's partner Brendan was hoping to attend so I hope he has made it. Hands up if he is with you. He is not here yet. Julie, from all of us here and on behalf of all of us who are missing, I would like to say wholeheartedly a massive thank you for your service. You are a treasure and everybody wishes you the very best.

Under Standing Order 38, we will now proceed with Leaders' Questions. I call Deputy McDonald.

I reiterate the Ceann Comhairle's words. Julie, you are an absolute legend and you know it. Thank you for everything. I know everybody sends nothing but the best of wishes to you and the family for the next chapter of what I have no doubt will be an interesting and delicious story. Thank you for looking after us.

Last night the Israelis attacked a peaceful flotilla that includes a Member of the Oireachtas, our colleague Senator Chris Andrews. This is a serious development and I have submitted a request under Standing Order 44 which I hope will be looked upon favourably. This flotilla is in imminent danger. I think there are over 20 Irish citizens on it, including Senator Andrews.

Yesterday I raised with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, the pressure households are under to keep up with out-of-control prices, stretched to the limit just to get by. I raised the fact the price of groceries has gone through the roof, increasing sharply in the past 12 weeks, and that four energy companies have announced big electricity price hikes. These hikes will hit households hard.

As an example, I was talking to one father yesterday. He has two children. He and his partner work hard all week but he is already borrowing from his parents just to pay his bills. His savings have been wiped out and he does not know where he would find the money to pay for even higher bills. That is how tight things are and he is not on his own.

Workers and families are at a loss as to how the Government stands back and refuses to take direct action to tackle this crisis. I said to the Minister yesterday the budget has to be about ending the rip-off, getting costs under control and supporting workers and families, and I told him that withdrawing energy credits in the budget is a terrible decision. I repeat that today. Instead of recognising the pressure people are under, the Minister chose to stand up and boast that he will not intervene or give way to what he chose to describe as "populist outrage". That is one for the books. How is this for populist outrage? Flogas electricity prices and student fees are already up; on 1 October, VHI charges go up; on 8 October, petrol and diesel prices go up; on 9 October, Energia electricity goes up; on 12 October, Bord Gáis electricity prices go up; on 13 October, Pinergy electricity goes upon 20 October, SSE Airtricity goes up; and on 1 November, local property tax charges go up. There you have it, Minister. Those are some of the body blows households will take literally days after the budget.

Here is the big shock - the electric shock, if you like. Almost 1 million households will see their electricity bills go up because of these price hikes. How is that for populist outrage?

People have a right to be angry; as a matter of fact, they have a right to be furious because they see a Government that has done nothing to stop energy companies ripping them off and now it wants to cancel the energy credits. Yesterday, in an attempt to justify that out-of-touch decision, the Minister said credits were introduced at a time of very high energy prices. That remark left people shaking their heads because their electricity bills are getting higher and higher and they are being pushed closer to the edge. Tá ardaithe móra ar phraghsanna ag teacht d’oibrithe agus do theaghlaigh sna seachtainí atá romhainn, go háirithe ar phraghsanna leictreachais a bheidh mar bhuille ollmhór do theaghlaigh. Ní féidir leis an Rialtas neamhaird a thabhairt ar an mbrú atá ar dhaoine. Caithfidh creidiúintí fuinneamh a bheith sa bhuiséad. The barrage of electricity price hikes facing households must be an eye-opener for Government. Surely to goodness, it cannot leave people high and dry. I tried yesterday, and will try again today, to ask that Government reverse the crazy decision to withdraw energy credits in the forthcoming budget.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. On behalf of myself and the Government parties, I would also like to wish Julie Lyons all the best in her retirement. I thank her for the excellent service she has provided to Members over 34 years. There is an expression in politics: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." That certainly never applied to Julie. She served us loyally and I have been instructed by colleagues to say they will very much miss her Christmas puddings once she departs. I thank her for her service.

I want to express concern for my former constituency colleague, Senator Andrews. Deputy McDonald mentioned how the flotilla of people lawfully protesting the slaughter in Gaza was attacked last night by Israeli forces. This seems to show the Israeli Government is prepared to attack non-combatants whether they are in Gaza or in international waters. On behalf of the Irish Government, I condemn the actions of the Israeli Government in unlawfully attacking a lawful flotilla that is seeking to engage in peaceful activity on international waters.

I was not being flippant yesterday when I responded to the issues Deputy McDonald raised. I assure her the Government takes extremely seriously the issues concerning the cost of living and the pressures they put on families. The Deputy recounted a series of increases that will take place. The Government is well aware of those increases and the pressures they will put on families, whether the increases are in energy costs or in the area of health insurance. However, it is important to note the reason the energy credits were introduced a number of years ago was the extraordinary rate of inflation in the country and throughout the world in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In this country, inflation was in the region of 10% but since then because of measures taken by Government, for which no credit is given by the Deputy, inflation has been brought under control and is at reasonable levels.

When it comes to the budget that will be announced in 13 days by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers, I assure Deputy McDonald that concern for the cost of living and hard-pressed families will be at the centre.

The Deputy mentioned a number of items she highlighted yesterday. Similarly, I want to remind her of the protections provided by the Government in the last budget.

She will be aware that there was an increased payment in respect of the rent tax credit for 2024 from €1,000 to €2,000. She will be aware that there was the extension of the 9% reduced VAT rate for gas and electricity. That is a very real measure that was introduced and maintained by the Government for the purpose of trying to protect consumers from increasing costs in the energy sector. She will also be aware of the extension of the mortgage interest relief until the end of 2025 and a €300 lump sum payment in respect of the fuel allowance. That is leaving aside other social welfare protections that were introduced in the previous budget and that I know will also be introduced in this budget.

I ask the Deputy to await the outcome of the budget. She seems fixated on the fact that the Government has announced that it is not going reintroduce the energy credits that it introduced over the past number of years. They were measures that were not met with favour by Sinn Féin when they were introduced here.