Government out of touch as cost of living soars – Cllr Ogbu
Government out of touch as cost of living soars - Cllr Ogbu - The Labour Party
- No relief for low and middle-income families in Government package
- Labour to support Dáil motion of no confidence in Government
Councillor Helen Ogbu, Labour’s candidate in Galway West, has said that the protests and disruption seen in recent days are the direct result of Government failing to adequately engage with and listen to the concerns of communities, warning that the ongoing cost of living crisis continues to push families to the brink.
As a motion of no confidence comes before the Dáil, Cllr. Ogbu said Labour will support the motion, citing the Government’s failure to stand up for ordinary workers.
Cllr. Ogbu said:
“The protests and disruption we have seen did not happen in a vacuum. They are the result of a Government that has failed to listen, failed to engage and failed to act on the real concerns of communities. Across the country, people see a Government that is out of its depth and out of touch.
“On the doors in Galway, the message is clear. People are under real pressure. Families are struggling with rising energy bills, soaring grocery costs and unaffordable housing, and now growing concerns about fuel and home heating oil. Yet the response from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael has been a package designed to placate narrow interests, with little for low and middle-income workers who are carrying the burden.
“PAYE workers have been left behind. These are people paying their taxes from pay packets that are already stretched. They looked to Government for support and got none. This is not just a policy failure. It is a failure of priorities.
“We know that some time-limited supports are needed for exposed sectors, and we hear that but this Government has serious questions to answer. There are 320,000 households in arrears on energy bills. Where is the support for them? Where is the targeted help for working families who are doing everything right but still cannot get ahead?
“Where is the renewed push for remote working to reduce commuting costs? Where is the intervention to bring down energy bills? Where is the plan to ease pressure on households?
“The events of recent days have shown a Government losing its grip. Families are being squeezed from every direction while workers are left to carry the burden. That is why Labour will support a motion of no confidence in the Government in the Dáil this week. This crisis has laid bare a Government that is out of touch with the pressures facing ordinary workers and unwilling to act. People need leadership that listens, engages and delivers real support and Government has failed on all three counts.”