Labour demands action to protect incomes and increase accountability
Labour’s candidate in Cork South Central, Councillor Laura Harmon, was today speaking at the launch of Labour’s Cost of Living plan which aims to combat price gouging and bring down Ireland’s soaring living costs. This new proposal aims to increase accountability for both government spending while supporting household incomes by tackling high prices and giving regulators the tools they need to ensure consumers get better value for their money.
Cllr Harmon said:
“Hardworking people in Ireland are being squeezed by soaring costs in nearly every area of life. Labour is determined to protect incomes by taking on the root causes of high prices, from wasteful public spending to unscrupulous price gouging. We’re calling for a modern system of accountability for ministers and senior civil servants, stronger regulation on unfair trading, and direct measures to help working families keep more of their wages.
“Small changes can have a big impact on people’s budgets. Labour’s plan outlines measures to cut energy bills, eliminate extra fees on instalment payments like motor tax, and ban automatic price hikes for mobile and broadband contracts. These solutions will directly reduce costs for families and individuals across Ireland.
“The outrageous cost of the Oireachtas bike shelter and the out of control spending on the National Children’s Hospital should not have happened. Government Ministers are failing to manage projects under their watch. When public money is wasted, it’s not just taxpayers who lose out. These funds should be going towards essential services, not ballooning costs for projects that were poorly managed.”
The cost of living crisis, Cllr. Harmon noted, is forcing Irish people to seek better opportunities abroad. “Housing costs, for instance, are at an all-time high, driving many of our best and brightest out of the country. Three out of four of my own younger sisters have left Ireland, searching for a better quality of life overseas. Labour believes it’s time to make Ireland a place where people can thrive without having to leave.”
Labour’s plan will also address some of Ireland’s highest costs—electricity and insurance—by appointing a dedicated Minister of State for Consumer Affairs. Cllr Harmon added, “Irish families deserve confidence that someone in government is working tirelessly to bring down costs for essentials like electricity and insurance, which are among the highest in Europe. Labour is committed to ensuring people can get real value for their hard-earned money.
“While many are told Ireland is a rich country, far too many people are struggling to make ends meet, even with decent wages. Labour has a vision to tackle the cost of living and root out price gouging for good.”
Link: https://labour.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Labour-Cost-of-Living-Manifesto-2024-1.pdf