The Government should produce an emergency budget to release further support for people struggling amid the cost-of-living crisis, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said.
Ms McDonald said speed is of the essence when it comes to rolling out additional mitigations for families now living in a “permanent state of panic”.
On Friday, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government was examining what else could be done to “soften the blow” of surging costs, adding “a lot of things are in the mix”.
Mr Varadkar ruled out extra borrowing to fund new measures and highlighted that any steps have to comply with EU law, for instance in areas such as VAT relief on fuel.
The Government says it has already allocated two billion euros since October’s budget to alleviate cost-of-living pressures. Measures have included a cut on fuel excise duty, the reduction of public transport costs, and rebates on household energy bills.
Ms. McDonald said her party proposes a further 1.4 billion euros in support measures.
She insisted the money could be found without recourse to additional borrowing, claiming there is sufficient “elbow room” in the state’s finances.
Asked in an interview with RTE Radio One whether there is a need for an emergency budget, Ms McDonald said there is.
“The scale of this crisis in households right across the land is really, really worrying,” she added.
News credit: Independent. ie