Government "out of touch" claims local Sinn Féin TD

The three government parties are "out of touch" with workers and families struggling with the escalating cost of living and sky high according to local Sinn Féin TD, Brian Stanley.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Laois/Offaly TD said the burden that the escalating cost of living is placing on households is "unsustainable" and he doesn't see "any sense of urgency" from the government parties to tackle the crisis and to stand up for families in Laois and Offaly.

"This pressure has been exacerbated by Government's failure to intervene to reduce energy bills or provide mortgage relief from ever-rising interest rates. There has been a failure to date to implement a windfall tax on the large energy companies" he said.

With grocery prices having increased by almost 17 per cent over the past year, Deputy Stanley said inflation in Irish supermarkets is "at the highest level ever recorded by retail analysts Kantar across the past 12 months" and has resulted in a mean average annual grocery bill increase of approximately €1,200."

The proposals brought forward by Sinn Féin in the Dáil, are calling on the Government to do all in its power to ensure savings made by supermarkets and large food retailers in respect to falling input costs are passed on to consumers through lower grocery prices, according to the Laois/Offaly TD.

"Government must also instruct the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to investigate possible price-gouging in the grocery sector, and they must also further increase weekly social welfare and pension rates to stem the flow of families and pensioners into food poverty" he said.

In addition, Sinn Féin is calling on Government to amend the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 to give the proposed Agri-Food Regulator powers to investigate anti-competitive practices in the agri-food supply chain.

"The Government cannot continue their hands-off approach while households suffer. It’s not enough for Government, to not just oppose our Dáil motion, they need to act on the sensible measures we are proposing" said Deputy Stanley.