€1.5bn household package is urgent

WE are about to endure a winter like never before with soaring prices putting unprecedented pressure on workers and families.

Costs all across the economy are skyrocketing. Many families will struggle to fill their shopping trolleys, heat their homes and pay their rent or mortgages unless they receive substantial assistance.

Equally, business owners will wonder if they can keep the doors open as the bills pile up. The Social Democrats launched our alternative budget yesterday – and proposed a range of measures to insulate the most vulnerable.

The most immediate crisis is energy costs and we would provide targeted cash payments totalling €1.5billion: €800 to households with incomes of less than €50,000; €600 for households with incomes of less than €100,000; and €400 for households with incomes of less than €120,000.

In addition, we are proposing a €1billion Energy Crisis Support Scheme for businesses so they can meet inflated energy bills.

Energy firms would not be allowed to profiteer on the backs of ordinary workers under our plans.

A windfall tax would ensure their obscene profits are collected by the State and redistributed.

The Social Democrats would increase core social welfare rates like pensions by €15 per week.

We would also increase the fuel allowance by €15, bringing the payment to €48 per week, and expand eligibility to low income workers.

A double social welfare payment next month, separate to the Christmas bonus, is also necessary.

The Social Democrats would also make education genuinely free – which requires a relatively small investment of €253 million.