Yesterday, ripped-off households were hit with a double whammy. First was the news that food price inflation had reached its highest level for nearly two years. On that same day, the big electricity price hike from SSE Airtricity kicked in. This is the second hike in just one year. This is affecting hundreds of thousands of households. How bad do things have to get before the Government stands up to these companies and protects people from price gouging? When will it rein things in and end the rip-off? Surely the Taoiseach now recognises that it was a serious mistake not to include a cost-of-living package in his budget? The Finance Bill is before the Dáil this week. I ask the Taoiseach to see sense and provide meaningful measures to support households through this cost-of-living crisis.

We did take very significant measures in the budget to support families, particularly working families and families on low incomes. The Deputy has failed to acknowledge that in all her commentary. The child support payment had a permanent increase of over €16 for those over 12 and a permanent increase of €8 for children under 12. The extension of the fuel allowance to the working family payment means 26% of all households are now entitled to a fuel allowance. We have already brought in the free schoolbooks scheme and free hot school meals, all of which are significant factors in reducing pressures on families. We acknowledge that food prices are going up and that is significant. Energy remains an issue and we are engaging with the companies. There is a regulator there as well to make sure that price gouging does not happen and that competition applies.

I saw Sinn Féin's budget proposals. They would have added 2% to the cost of living.

No they would not.

That is a fact. That is from the Central Bank-----

Stop parroting-----

I thank the Taoiseach. Time is up. I call Deputy Ivana Bacik.